The Secret Keeper
by Pleiades
Summary: Last chapter finally added! This is a post GOF fic, centering mainly on Sirius and Harry. Lots of adventure, dangerous curses, Lord Voldemort, revelations etc. So come on! Read and review!
1. Chapter I

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything, please don't sue!

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**The Secret Keeper**

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**Chapter One: Calm before the Storm**

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"There he is again, Moony. I'm telling you, he knows something's going on".

"Shhh, Padfoot. Can you forget your godson for one second and help me hide this?"

Sirius Black reluctantly drew his eyes from the forlorn figure of his godson standing at a window in number four Privet Drive to help Remus Lupin conceal a small glass sphere in a hedge. The two wizards raised their wands and uttered a simultaneous, "Invisio", smiling at their handiwork as the orb vanished from sight.

"I'd like to see a Death Eater get in here now", growled Sirius.

Remus sighed in response. The day before, the protections surrounding Privet Drive had been breached, only for a minute, but breached nonetheless. Dumbledore had dispatched Sirius and Remus to install a watcher orb, which would repel unwanted intruders, much like an electrified fence. This had been the latest in a series of attempts to undermine the protections surroundingHarry's house. Luckily, nobody had been home at the time. The Dursleys were gone shopping and Harry had been left with his neighbour Mrs. Figg, an old and rather accident-prone lady. The intruder had had only one minute in Number 4 before a team of ministry wizards had arrived. Privet Drive and its environs had been thoroughly searched but the intruder had eluded them and seemingly escaped. 

"Come on Padfoot, we have to go", said Remus.

"I want to see him first", replied Sirius.

"Sirius, you know what Dumbledore said. It's too dangerous. What if the Dursleys see us? Come on, you can owl him later".

"I hate just leaving him like this. He'll be dying to see a friendly face after all that's happened. He must be terrified, whatever Dumbledore tells him about the house being protected- ".

"It is protected", Lupin interjected.

"But he doesn't know that. And if anything does happen, he'll be completely defenceless-you know they don't let him have his wand".

"Look, Padfoot. I know it's tough on him, and on you, but we have to trust Dumbledore. Harry will be fine, and I'm sure even a letter from you will cheer him up. Besides you'll be seeing him soon enough-"

"Yeah, he'll be amazed. I'll make it his best birthday ever".

"Exactly. Now we'd better go before we're seen".

Sirius glanced back up at Harry's window. His godson was still stood there, gazing at the night sky, oblivious to the fact that his godfather was barely twenty feet away. Sirius wondered what Harry was thinking about, probably Cedric again. The boy's death had hit Harry very hard. Feeling Moony's hand on his shoulder, Sirius reluctantly turned away, and with a pop, the two wizards disapparated. 

***

Harry Potter gazed out at the night sky,letting the cool air soothe the sting of yet more tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. If only he hadn't asked Cedric to take the cup with him. If he'd taken it on his own, this would be another awful summer, but awful for him alone. Cedric would be alive, Mr. and Mrs. Diggory would still be glowing with pride for their son instead of mourning him, and Cho Chang wouldn't hate him for killing her boyfriend. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Harry couldn't understand how it had all gone wrong. He'd faced Voldemort so many times, butnever with such tragic results. Why had this year been different? What should he have done differently? Clearly, it was somebody's fault. Perhaps he hadn't paid enough attention to advice from his friends and teachers. _It must be my fault_, Harry thought bitterly, _how could I have been so stupid? I let my pride and arrogance at the thought of winning the damn tournament blind me from the warning signs. I should have sensed something…I would have, if I hadn't been so greedy to win._Harry tried to force all thoughts from his mind. It was too much to take in.

Harry turned from his window and returned to bed for the third time that night. He was aware of his scar aching dully as it had for the last week. The stillness reminded him of the terrifying moment after the portkey had transported him and Cedric to the graveyard near Little Hangleton. For what had seemed an eternity, Harry and Cedric had stood uncertainly as Wormtail approached bearing his master Lord Voldemort._No, stop thinking about it. Just go to sleep._

Harry lay still in bed and closed his eyes. Thinking about Cedric's death made him feel almost paralysed with fear, like a child convinced of the presence of the bogey man in their bedroom. He listened intently to the sounds of the night, but all was silent, not even Uncle Vernon's snores penetrated the vacuum. _This is silly. Some brave Gryffindor I am. What would Ginny think of the "hero who conquered the Dark Lord", if she could see him now? _Harry sat up, thinking how ridiculous he was being. He was perfectly safe at the Dursleys, afterall, even Voldemort had said he couldn't hurt him there. Yet, Harry couldn't help feeling that something terrible was going to happen. Why was his scar hurting? He considered writing to Sirius, but almost immediately reproved himself for causing his godfather any more worry. No, it was definitely time for bed- 02.45. _Just one more look outside, then I'll sleep. _Cautiously, Harry stood up and walked back to the window. _Nothing_. Harry sighed and went back to bed. This was going to be a long night.

***

Harry woke suddenly, squinting in the morning sun, and looked around in a daze to see what had woken him up. There was an insistent tapping on the window. Hedwig! Harry jumped up and opened the window as a beautiful snowy owl swooped into his bedroom bearing a letter. A glance at the clock showed it was 6.40 in the morning. Sirius must have had a late night to return Hedwig at this time of the morning, Harry thought, as he excitedly opened his letter. It read:

Dear Harry,

Stop worrying! I told you you'd see me soon and I mean' t it, but I've seen you, haha! I can't tell you when, of course, as my work is top secret! I'll just say that Moony and I have been busy with various projects for Dumbledore. And now the comes the serious part (I solemnly swear there is no pun intended). Try to be careful and don't leave the house unless you absolutely have to. No running away to catch the Knight bus, no escaping in flying cars etc. You must believe me that Privet Drive is the safest place for you to be right now, so please stay there. I know it's hard putting up with the Dursleys, but they have their uses. Tell me if you notice anything strange or if your scar hurts again. Take care,

Padfoot.

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Harry smiled as he read Sirius' letter, but wondered why he was so insistent on his staying in the house. Sirius wasn't usually that specific in his pleas for Harry to be careful. He also wondered what Sirius could bave mean't by saying that he had already seen him, as he hadn't left the house, except to go to Mrs. Figg's, a journey lasting all of three minutes. Sirius must have been to Privet Drive. Harry felt a little hurt that his godfather had been on the street but hadn't called to see him. He supposed Sirius was guarding the house in case the Death Eaters tried to recapture him, but wished he wouldn't risk his life in the process.

Harry could understand Sirius' reasons for wanting to protect him from Voldemort, but still couldn't fathom why the rest of the wizarding community felt so strongly about it. Dumbledore had always hinted that there was something special about Harry, but had never told him the reason Voldemort wanted to kill him as a baby. He had simply told him that he would know the truth when he was ready, but Harry was getting tired of waiting. It seemed like all these great important wizards like Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge were trying to keep him young, ignorant, helpless and dependent on others for as long as possible, but Harry didn't feel young anymore. He desperately wanted to know the truth, but there was no chance of finding it while stuck in Privet Drive. He would have to wait till his return to Hogwarts, assuming he survived the summer. Sirius's concerns didn't fill him with confidence that he would survive that long, however.

Harry hastily stuffed the letter under a broken floorboard and was about to go down and make a start on his daily chores, when a tiny brown owl came hurtling through his window. It was Ron's owl Pigwidgeon. Harry tried to calm down Ron's hyper pet with some treats and hastily removed his letter. For Ron, it was surprisingly serious:

Hey Harry,

Weird stuff has been happening here. Yesterday Dad came home with at least a dozen witches and wizards and, you won't believe this, Professor Lupin and Dumbledore came too. I think Lupin must be working for the ministry, though probably unofficially. Anyway, they stayed here all night and didn't leave till yesterday evening. They were doing all sorts of spells on the house, and even on us, but they wouldn't say what it was all about. Percy knows, of course, and now he's walking around like he's the Minister of Magic or something. Dumbledore kept asking questions about you, about whether your scar was hurting again and what you were saying in your letters. It's not hurting you, is it? It's all really weird. Have you any idea what's going on? Well, write soon, and don't let the muggles get you down,

Ron

Harry read and re-read Ron's letter. It was indeed very strange and Harry could think of no explanation for the witches and wizards going to the Burrow. He was fairly certain, however, that it had something to do with him, since Dumbledore had asked about him. It was terrible being isolated in the muggle world. Harry felt completely helpless, as usual. Harry would have to write back and say he hadn't a clue what was going on. _But should I say anything about my scar?It's not really hurting, just aching, and that doesn't really count….there's no point in worrying anyone until it really hurts, and if Sirius hears from Lupin that it hurts, he'll come straight back here and risk getting caught. No. I'll say nothing. _His mind made up, Harry gave Hedwig some treats, and reluctantly went downstairs. First job of the day: to fry Dudley's bacon. As he entered the kitchen, Harry looked up from another read of Ron's letter and blinked as a sudden flash of light caught him unawares. _What the…_Suddenly the room was illuminated by a burst of green light. Terrified he ran to the window. His worst fears were confirmed.

A/N: So there it is, the first fiction I've written in six long years. Hope you enjoyed part one. I'll try and get these up quickly. Please, review if you're good enough to read J

Pleiades.


	2. Chapter II

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts belong to J.K. Rowling.

**The Secret Keeper**

**Chapter Two: The Attack**

An exhausted Remus Lupin jerked suddenly from his sleep, to stare stupidly at the wailing watcher orb that had been next to his ear on the desk. It took only a moment for his tired brain to register that the protections around Privet Drive were being infiltrated again. _Not already. _Remus grabbed his wand and ran over to the old dusty couch.

"Wake up, Padfoot", he roared, shaking his friend none too gently, "God, how could you sleep through that?"

"Huh? Oh…Geez, come on, we'd better hurry".

"No. You're staying here. Tell Mundungus and the others what's happening. Make sure they use floo powder; they can't apparate with the watcher installed. When you do that, owl Dumbledore, and go the Burrow".

"Moony, you know full well I'm not going to stay here, with Harry in danger-"

"Damn it, Sirius! There's no time for this. Just do what I tell you! The ministry will be sending wizards there, and if you're seen…Please, for Harry's sake…I'll see you at the Burrow".

Remus threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and yelled, " Four Privet Drive". Nothing happened.

"What now?" he groaned, "Oh God, Padfoot. What if we're too late and…?"

Sirius's face paled.

"I'll try Arabella's. Don't dare follow me, Padfoot! Whatever it is, you mustn't be caught. Two Privet Lawns!"

And with that, Remus was gone. Sirius stood looking at the fireplace in silence, feeling dread building up in the pit of his stomach, an all too familiar feeling. _I've failed you again, James_. _Oh, please let him be safe._

***

For miles around, curious spectators stepped quickly out into their gardens for a better view of the fireworks display in Privet Drive. Startling flashes of red and green dominated the skyline, but for a fireworks display, it wasn't very noisy. What use was a fireworks display without the distant rumble of rockets exploding? Besides, fireworks were much more spectacular at night. Nevertheless, people got out of their cars as they sat in traffic, or paused while hanging out the clothes to dry, to watch the beautiful bursts of colour and wonder what was being celebrated.

To the onlookers on Privet Drive who were brave enough to twitch behind their net curtains for a better view,the scene was somewhat different. A horde of black robe-clad people were surrounding number four and apparently shooting light towards the house with long sticks. The flashes however seemed to be ricocheting off an invisible shield, that glowed and sparked with each impact. There was no sound, except for a vague buzzing, each time the shield was hit. Otherwise, all was silent.

One of the black clad people moved about giving instructions to his fellows, who began to concentrate the beams of light on one area. The effect was devastating, as the beam penetrated the shield and with an almighty explosion, destroyed half the upper storey of the Dursleys' house. A distraught Petunia Dursley stuck her hairnet-covered head out of a glassless window, before screeching and running away. The assault continued mercilessly and Vernon Dursley's car was seen hurtling through the air to land with a deafening thud in the driveway of number five. Minutes later, the chimney came toppling down. 

The neighbours either cowered under furniture or watched horrified at the scene unfolding before their eyes. Suddenly, two streets away, amidst a deluge of indecipherable yells, poor old Mrs. Figg was seen to come running out of her house, followed by around two dozen people dressed similarly to the attackers. They raced toward number four Privet Drive, engaging the attackers in close exchanges of fire. The muggles watched in horror as attackers from both sides fell, apparently dead, in the violent battle. 

***

Harry's eyes blinked in the sudden and unexpected blaze of green light that filled the kitchen, not noticing as Ron's letter fell out of his hand and onto the tiled floor. His mind subconsciously associated the phenomenon with Voldemort. _Avada Kedavra_. Terrified, Harry stood rooted to the spot in the kitchen doorway, too stunned to think or act. Further bursts of light, in red and green, ripped through the room, but Harry didn't notice. The screams and explosions melted into the background as they were blotted out by his disbelieving brain. Afterall, this was only supposed to happen at Hogwarts. Slowly and reluctantly, Harry emerged from his stunned state to approach the kitchen window and peer out. Beyond the garden wall were at least two dozen Death Eaters, and they appeared to be directing curses at the house, however the deadly flashes were being deflected by some kind of invisible shield. _Must be the protections Dumbledore mentioned._As the volume of sound increased in his ears he began to realize the enormity of the situation.._Owl Dumbledore quick. _Harry raced upstairs, and grabbed his quill and parchment. He hastily scribbled a note, 

Prof. Dumbledore,

Death Eaters attacking the house,

Harry.

As Hedwig flew off with the note, Harry quickly told Pigwidgeon to go back to the Burrow. Miraculously the little owl understood and fluttered out after Hedwig. _Now what?_ _Better check on the Dursleys_. Harry raced to his uncle's room, almost tripping on his too large jeans, only to have his calls drowned by a deafening crash. Almost instantly, Harry was engulfed in a torrent of dust, splinters and shards of glass. He ducked quickly and protected his eyes from the shower, waiting a moment before looking in astonishment at his room. It was gone. Harry stared in shock at the devastation and coughed as he inhaled a cloud of dust and plaster. Nothing remained but the floor and debris from the explosion. Looking down onto the street, Harry could just barely distinguish the dark figures outside continuing their assault on the house. Harry stared incredulously. _Isn't anyone going to help? Where's Sirius?_A slightly muffled but terrified shriek from Aunt Petunia told him that the Dursleys were awake, not surprisingly, so Harry dashed downstairs.

Harry could feel himself starting to panic. He could see the Death Eaters from the kitchen window and knew that they would be coming into the garden at any minute, as the shield was visibly weakening. A well-aimed blue flash lifted Uncle Vernon's car of the driveway and sent it hurtling nextdoor. _I have to do something._ Instinct made him reach for his wand, until he realised it was locked away in the cupboard under the stairs with all his other wizard belongings. Presently, Uncle Vernon came running into the kitchen, followed by Petunia and Dudley, looking completely shocked. Uncle Vernon pointed a long, shaking finger at Harry, screamed, "You! This isyour doing! Out of my house, NOW!!!" while Petunia dragged Dudley under the kitchen table for shelter. "But.." Harry's response was muted by a deafening explosion upstairs, and the racket of a torrent of plaster pouring out of the living room fireplace. "Keys to the, the cupboard", Harry pleaded weakly with his uncle, but it was no use. Vernon had joined his whimpering family under the table and Harry knew that he wouldn't get an answer.

As Harry ran to the hall, he could hear screams from outside. He hoped desperately that the ministry had reacted quickly and sent wizards to protect the house. Right now, however, Harry needed his wand. He didn't know what he would do with it or whether he would go out and fight. He just knew he would feel better with it in his hand, so he proceded to kick the cupboard door frantically. He desperately kicked until his leg ached in pain and then threw his entire rather meagre body weight on the door, but it was no use. Finally, as his rage surged up inside him, he screamed at the offending object, only to suddenly find his wand in his hand. For a moment, Harry glared at it dumbstruck, but was interrupted by the front door bursting inwards and Lucius Malfoy stepping triumphantly into the hallway, a proud superior sneer on his face.

"I'll be relieving you of that, Potter. Expelliarmis!"

Harry's wand flew through the air and straight into Malfoy's hand, who smiled.

"I have a gift for you boy, from my lord-"

As Harry saw Malfoy raise his wand, he knew he had to hide. Harry made a dash for the door into the kitchen, as the curse missed him by inches and blew a hole in the wall. There was nowhere to hide. Harry put the kitchen table, and the Dursleys, between himself and Malfoy, and looked around frantically.

"There's nowhere to hide this time, boy. Now accept your gift and be grateful. My lord created it just for you- Crucio solo infinitum!"

In the instant before the curse hit him, Harry's only thoughts were that this couldn't be the end. _Not like this._ He heard Malfoy curse him as though it was happening to someone else. Then a pain unlike anything he had ever experienced ripped through Harry's skull,a terrible excruciating agony. Harry could hear a strange voice screaming, and realized through a haze of confusion, that it was his own. He vaguely welcomed the darkness, when it finally engulfed him.

***

Lucius Malfoy watched anxiously as the Potter boy collapsed to the floor in pain. Cautiously, he bent down to examine the now still body. After a moment he pocketed his wand, satisfied that he had performed his master's work correctly. As he got up from the floor, a small piece of paper caught his eye…

A/N: Sorry this was so short. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but don't worry, the next few are much better and more introspective.Trust me, the attack on Privet Drive is merely a means to a glorious (I hope!) end. So, is Harry dead? Will Lupin and the others arrive on time to save the Dursleys? And how will Sirius react?

The next chapter is already finished, and I'll post it some time over the weekend (I'm very pleased with chapter three and I think you'll like it too).

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Thanks to all who reviewed J, namely (at the time I wrote this) Rufus (I know, yet another fifth year fic…Sorry, I couldn't help it. By the way, I love "And When the Dawn Begins"), Anya (The Weasley thing will be explained soon), Firecross (I agree totally about Harry's feelings about Cedric and will probably be returning to this in a later chapter. As for the title, all will be explained around chapter 5 and 6, but it's not what you think!), Steffi Silberstreif, Harry's Mum Lily, Harry's crush, ~~R~~, person, OrcaPotter, *~*Ginny*~* (thank you for the ultimate compliment!), muggle genius (Congratulations! You were closer than anyone else to guessing what would happen!), Giesbrecht, Amanda Mancini (Hope this lives up to your expectations), Lavender, Mwalimu (Glad you liked it, and yes, I like to assume that anyone reading this story has read all the books, so I don't need to go back and explain everything) and Twilight and Silence (Hooray! You were the first to review). I really appreciate your taking the time to review as it gives me ideas for future chapters.

Pleiades


	3. Chapter III

Disclaimer: 'Though it pains me to say it, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

The Secret Keeper

**Chapter Three: The Aftermath**

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When Remus Lupin finally reached the door of number four Privet Drive, he had to force himself not to be overcome by the grief and anger he had felt at seeing the Dark Mark floating ominously above the house. _It might not be too late to rescue Harry_. He had to focus on the job at hand. The house was in a shambles, and he had seen from the outside that Harry's room was completely destroyed. Slowly, he climbed the stairs, terrified at what he would find. The air was thick with dust and plaster from the destroyed walls. Standing at the door to Harry's room, he found himself looking out onto the street, where the battle was still continuing, though now with the added presence of ministry guards, dressed in their distinctive grey robes. Most of the Death Eaters seemed to have fled, overwhelmed by the number of wizards who had arrived to protect Harry. Remus searched through the rubble, coughing in the clouds of dust, but found no sign of Harry. He made his way back downstairs, feeling slightly hopeful, and went into the kitchen. At first all he could see were the Dursleys crouched under the kitchen table, whimpering pathetically, their eyes closed as if in disbelief. _Well at least they're alive._

"Where's Harry?" Lupin asked, sitting down on the floor next to them.

There was no response.

"Please, I'm here to help. Will you just tell me where Harry is first?"

Petunia managed a tiny squeak and nodded behind the table. Lupin leapt up and ran around behind the table. He bent over Harry's prone form, and with shaking hands, checked for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief at feeling Harry's strong but irregular pulse, and noticed that he was still breathing.Lupin called him gently, but couldn't bring him round. He was still bent over Harry, considering what to do when a cold voice suddenly spoke behind him:

"So he's alive then, is he?"

Remus jumped. He hadn't heard Snape come in behind him. Severus Snape stood in the doorway, his characteristic sneer struggling for dominance over the expression of relief creeping unconsciously over his face.

"Yes. I'm not sure what happened to him, though. He seems stunned, but I can't bring him round".

Snape knelt down beside Remus to look at Harry.

"Best not to enervate him till Pomfrey looks at him".

Remus nodded in agreement and lifted Harry gently off the ground. 

"I'll get him to Hogwarts. Will you deal with them?" Remus asked, looking down at the terrified Dursleys.

"That's Arthur Weasley's job, not mine. I'll see what's happening outside". Snape turned and left, his black robes billowing behind him. 

***

Molly Weasley smiled as the clock on the kitchen wall announced that her husband was finally on his way home, and began preparing his dinner although it was well past suppertime. Ron and Ginny were sitting at the table, too miserable and worried to go to bed. Ever since Sirius Black had arrived hours ago telling them that Death Eaters had attacked Harry's house, they had been unable to eat or even think. It was almost midnight and they still didn't know if Harry was alright. They guessed it had been quite serious, though, since their father was so late home.

"Your father's on his way home now, dears", Molly said to try and comfort her two youngest children, "I'm sure everything will be alright. If anything bad had happened we'd know by now".

Ginny wiped another tear from her red-rimmed eyes, wondering desperately if it would ever end. She loved Harry Potter and it pained her deeply that he regarded her love for him as being nothing more than childish infatuation. In truth she was well past that embarrassing stage of her life, and she yearned for Harry to view her as an equal, in short to regard her as being on the same level as Hermione Granger. She felt an overwhelming warmth of affection for Harry that she had never felt for anyone else, and couldn't bear to think of him having to face Voldemort again. She greatly admired his courage, and smiled inwardly everytime he lost his temper with Ron for telling him not to say You-Know-Who's name, but she still couldn't help but think of him as an innocent and vulnerable child, who needed protection from the world he had been thrust so violently into. And now he was in danger again, and she didn't even know if he was still alive. Another tear streamed down her blotched face as her father appeared in the kitchen, looking old and drawn.

"Sit down, dear, dinner won't be long".

Arthur Weasley sat down at the table, sighing at the pure bliss of simply sitting down. It had been one of the longest days in memory, almost as bad as the day Peter Pettigrew had killed all those muggles. _And to think I blamed Sirius Black, the most protective godfather who ever lived! Harry couldn't ask for a more dedicated…_He glanced at the clock and at his two children, who were watching him intently. _Oh right, Harry._

"Don't worry, Harry's going to be fine. He was hit by a nasty curse, courtesy of Lucius Malfoy, but he's fine, just a bit sore. Dumbledore says he can come here tomorrow. It should be safe now, with all the protection charms the Order has heaped on the place".

"And on us…" Ron grumbled. _I wonder if Harry got my note. _Ron yawned loudly before patting his sister on the shoulder and standing up, "Coming, Gin?" Ginny got up wearily and followed Ron upstairs. Mrs. Weasley set down her husband's dinner and turned to ask him the question that had been worrying her ever since the Triwizard Tournament.

"Is it really safe, Arthur? You know I love Harry, and don't mind having him here, but what if You-Know-Who tries to get him again?"

"Don't worry, love. This really is the safest place on earth now, and I'd die before I let anything happen to you or the kids".

Molly grasped her husband's hand. "We'll protect them, Arthur, no matter what…"

***

Sirius Black paced the length of the Hogwart's infirmary, his footfalls echoing off the stone walls and his movement casting long shadows across the floor. He was furious with himself for failing Harry yet again. The same thoughts kept running through his mind, _I should have been guarding the house, I should have been guarding the house, I should have…_Over and over again his thoughts ran in circles until they lost all meaning and became little more than white noise, _I should have been guarding the house, I should have been-_Sirius stopped pacing, suddenly realising that Madam Pomfrey was glaring at him reproachfully from the doorway.

"If you must pace the room, will you at least walk in your socks? He needs his sleep", hissed Madam Pomfrey as she passed him by to check on her patient. Sirius glanced after her apologetically and walked on tiptoe over to his godson's bed. Harry was still asleep and breathing deeply, his pale face illuminated by the candle flickering at his bedside. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, thanks to the potion for dreamless sleep Madam Pomfrey had administered to him soon after he had awakened and told Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black about the attack on Privet Drive. Sirius thought he could still discern a look of pain on Harry's sleeping face, a strained expression that had been there ever since the Triwizard Tournament. It hurt him that Harry couldn't escape his pain, even in sleep. _I should have been guarding the house._

"You should get some sleep yourself, Black. You can stay here if you like-"

"I'm not leaving him".

"Well at least sit down, you're exhausted". Madam Pomfrey pulled a chair up to the bedside and Sirius collapsed into it gratefully, closing his eyes. He was dimly aware of a blanket being draped over him before he fell into a troubled sleep.

_"So, what do you think of him, Padfoot?"_

_ _

_For once in his life, Sirius was speechless as he gazed at James Potter's newly born son. James smiled serenely and passed the tiny bundle to his friend-_

_ _

_"Oh, I don't know, Prongs, I'm not much use with babies"._

_ _

_"Don't be silly! Say hello to Harry James Potter, your godson!"_

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_"What!? You can't be serious-"_

_ _

_"No, you're Sirius. Look, you'll be a great godfather to Harry, Sirius. Lily and I are both agreed on this. You wouldn't disappoint my Lily would you?"_

_ _

_"I wouldn't dare", mumbled Sirius under his breath. James smiled and passed over the baby._

_ _

_"Then it's settled"._

_ _

_As Sirius took Harry in his arms he gasped in surprise at the extraordinary aura that seemed to surround the child. He had sensed power like that in few wizards, Albus Dumbledore for example, and occasionally James, but coming from a baby it was quite unsettling. James, seeing the awed expression on his friend's face, said:_

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_"There's something special about him- do you feel it too, Padfoot?"_

_ _

_Sirius nodded in agreement._

_ _

_"Dumbledore says we should expect great things of him. I'm so proud of him, and he's not even a day old! You can't imagine how wonderful it is, Padfoot, having a son"._

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_Sirius couldn't help but grin whenever James was happy. His happiness was contagious to all around him, but Sirius could never remember seeing James so overwhelmed with joy. It seemed to positively radiate from him._

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_"He's wonderful, James. I won't let you down-"_

_ _

Sirius woke suddenly, confused and feeling strangely grieved. A moan from Harry's bed attracted his attention however, and he looked down to see Harry sitting on the edge of the mattress in the semi darkness, his head on his knees and his hands over his ears. He had his back to Sirius and seemed to be in pain.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"My head", Harry gasped.

Sirius moved around to the other side of the bed for a closer look, "I'll get Madam Pomfrey".

***

# The following morning…

_ _

"I don't understand it, Professor, he shouldn't be experiencing any residual effects", Madam Pomfrey explained to Professor Dumbledore.

Sirius got up wearily from Harry's bedside and joined the nurse and headmaster by the door. He was dreadfully tired after a long day of worrying about the attack on Privet Drive, followed by a long and sleepless night watching helplessly as Harry writhed in pain, unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time even after taking stronger and stronger sleeping potions. Madam Pomfrey had been at a loss to explain Harry's condition, and so been unable to do anything to make him more comfortable. Eventually sunrise had come and Sirius, desperate to ease Harry's pain, had hit him with a stupefying curse. Sirius now approached Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, hoping that the headmaster might perhaps have some idea of how to help Harry. Dumbledore seemed to be asking exactly what had happened.

"But he's been hit by the Cruciatus curse before, why is it so much worse this time?" 

"I honestly don't know-"

"So, it was definitely the Cruciatus, then?" Sirius interjected.

"As far as we can tell, yes. However, Harry did speak of feeling pain only in his head. He also mentioned that Lucius Malfoy spoke of a "gift" his master had created especially for Harry. I think we may therefore be dealing with a new curse, perhaps a more concentrated form of the Cruciatus Curse-"

"That's awful!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey, "How long will it last?"

"It's difficult to say. In the meantime, Poppy, I would ask you to work on finding something to ease the pain. Also, find out what you can about the curse Malfoy used. Sirius, go to Lupin's place and make plans for the reconvening of the Order. We'll have to organise our forces more efficiently if we're to stand any chance of protecting Harry. I'm amazed they attacked so soon, Voldemort must have recovered more quickly from his encounter with Harry than we expected.I want you to take Harry to the Burrow when he wakes up. He should be safe there for the time being. You can stay there with him if the Weasleys agree. In the meantime, there's much to be done".

***

** **

Harry wandered through the empty stone corridors of Hogwarts in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. He had no particular reason to go up there, but it was a way of passing the time until Sirius returned from Remus Lupin's house to take him to the Burrow. The evening sun cast golden shadows on the granite walls, bathing the castle in a warm glow that seemed to penetrate everything but the darkness creeping over Harry's soul. Not even the promise of spending the summer with the Weasleys could lift him out of the bleak depression that seemed to have descended upon him. Harry simply couldn't banish the dark thoughts oppressing him, despite Sirius' repeated attempts at cheering him up, nor did he really want to. His head was still pounding, but it was bearable thanks to Madam Pomfrey's newly enhanced painkiller potion. Somehow, the thought of going to the Burrow to wallow in forgetfulness for the rest of the summer brought him no comfort. He did not want to be helpless anymore, and he felt vaguely insulted at Professor Dumbledore's apparent attempt to distract him from his worries by sending him to play with the Weasley kids. An amazed squeal brought him out of his reverie.

"Oh! It's you! What are you doing here?"

It was the Fat Lady, sipping tea with Sir Cadogan.

"Will you let me in?" Harry asked.

"Well, I don't know. It might not be safe. There are no passwords this time of the year, though-"

"Please, just for a while.." Harry pleaded.

"Hmmm, alright then".

Harry climbed through the portrait hole into the eerie silence of the Gryffindor common room. The room was icy cold, despite the blazing sun coming in through the tower windows, as the fires had not been lit since term ended. Harry half expected Fred and George to jump out at him, or Neville to come running through in pursuit of his toad, but all was silent. Harry made his way up to his dormitory, yet the sight of his familiar room brought him no comfort. He felt like an intruder, and the room seemed foreign, as though he was entering it for the first time. He wandered over to his old four-poster bed and lay down, staring up at the hangings. He wondered about the Dursleys and what would happen to them now. Sirius hadn't told him much before he left that morning, just that the ministry would clear everything up at Privet Drive, fabricate some plausible cover story and restore the house. The Dursleys, of course, and all their neighbours, would have to have memory charms put on them. _That's a lot of memory charms, should keep Mr. Weasley busy for a while. He'll probably be out working when I arrive. Perhaps now he'll finally be able to incriminate Malfoy-at least something good has come of all this._

Harry shivered against the rough patchwork bed linen. He suddenly felt very alone and closed his eyes as if trying to dispel the tremendous dread that seemed to engulf him. It was better to feel nothing than to think about his precarious existence. _But why does it all centre on me? All I ever did was receive a charm from my mother that saved my life and destroyed another. I just wish people would see that. Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Hagrid…they're all going to be so disappointed when they realise what a fraud I am._ Harry thumped the mattress in frustration, the pain in his head adding to his anger and despair. _I'll never be more than my father's son._

_ _

" 'Thought I'd find you here. How's your head?"

Harry sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes, startled at his godfather's appearance. Sirius was dressed in exquisite dark maroon robes with gold embroidery, his hair neatly combed and extending below his shoulders. Harry had to try hard not to laugh as an image of the well-groomed ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Gilderoy Lockhart popped into his head

"What?…." Sirius pleaded, shuffling his feat uncomfortably.

"Oh, nothing. Nice disguise by the way, you know you could almost win Witch Weekly's most charming-"

" I get the point, Harry. Glad to see you've recovered your sense of humour if nothing else. Now wipe that grin off your face, I'm taking you to the Weasleys".

Harry got up, unable to stop smirking at the sight of Sirius. _Why on earth is he dressed like that?_ As they walked along the now darkening corridors Sirius kept giving him keen sidelong glances, as though daring him to say anymore about his appearance. _You don't scare me, Snuffles. I'll figure this out soon enough._ Sirius led him into an empty classroom and threw some floo powder into the fireplace. 

"After you-" 

"No, ladies first, I insist!" Harry retorted before bursting into ecstatic laughter.

Sirius growled at him reproachfully, but found himself grinning impulsively. _So like James…_

_ _

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this part. The title should be explained soon. Please keep reading (and reviewing). Chapter Four should be up tomorrow.

Thanks to all who reviewed Chapter 2: Adelina, Giesbrecht (glad you liked part two, hope this pleases also), Sara Cassidy (Yeah, poor Harry. Maybe I'll be nice and put him out of his misery in a later chapter), Demon_Child, rufus (you're welcome J and I hope the fairies find a way to turn Harry back from a panther!), Lonely in the Moonlight, Harry's Mum Lily (Don't worry, I could never kill Harry), Padfoot's Gal, person, Katana (Okay, I'll continue), Amanda Mancini (Delighted you came back for more. What can I say? I'm a bit melodramatic.), Lizzy/Tygresnick and Katydidnt (Those Death Eaters of yours can be very persuasive. I wrote this under the influence of the Imperius Curse, so don't blame me if it's bad! They made me do it!).

# Pleiades

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	4. Chapter IV

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts belong to J.K Rowling.

Okay, I'm very upset people! Whatever way I changed over to the chapter system, I lost all my precious reviews for chapters 2 and 3. so I now have a grand total of 19 reviews for the three chapters (sniff-sniff…) Well, it just goes to prove that I'm a disaster area where computers are concerned and have no-one to blame but myself. So pleeeeease everyone review and help me rebuild my battered ego!

# The Secret Keeper

**Chapter IV: The Burrow**

** **

** **

As Harry stepped out of the Weasley's kitchen fireplace, a visibly strained-looking Mrs. Weasley immediately pulled him into a firm hug. Struggling for breath and with his nose squashed into her apron, Harry detected the rich scent of chocolate and felt his stomach grumbling. _I'm starving_. A thump behind him announced Sirius' arrival. When Mrs.Weasley finally released him, Harry caught his breath and looked around the homely kitchen. It was just as he remembered it: warm and cosy, with a decidedly rustic look that Harry infinitely preferred above the cold, sterile tiles of Privet Drive. He looked around at the assembled Weasleys, nodding to Ron and glancing questioningly at Fred and George who winked at him as though trying to communicate a secret message. Ginny blushed when he smiled at her, but did not look away. Harry was still gazing stupidly at her, when she suddenly broke their eye contact to look at her mother. Harry turned and felt his cheeks burning as he realised that Mrs. Weasley was saying something to him. The twins chuckled in the background, earning reproachful stares from Ginny.

"Oh, Harry, dear, I'm so sorry about your house. Your poor relatives must have been scared out of their wits"

"Yeah, thanks for letting me stay again-"

"Not at all, Harry. Dumbledore was going to let you come soon, anyway."

Ron approached Harry and led him into the corner.

"Hedwig's upstairs. Dumbledore sent her ahead to say you were coming. You got my letter about the spells and stuff being put on the house?" Harry nodded, "Well, I think I know what it's all about now. There's this witch been coming here and she told me-"

Ron suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, staring at Sirius, resplendent in maroon and gold. Sirius was looking far healthier than the day before He seemed to have calmed down from his despair at not being able to go to Privet Drive to protect Harry, yet he still seemed anxious about something. He was looking around the kitchen and trying to peer out the window as though searching for something, while simultaneously trying to rub a stain out of his robes. He had gained enough weight to fill his robes, and his hair was clean and combed. He bore a far greater resemblance to the man laughing in the photograph of the Potter's wedding, though his expression was darker and more alert. However, Ron had to admit that a Sirius without torn, scruffy robes and scraggly hair was faintly ridiculous. He didn't seem half as intimidating or impressive. _Poor guy, dress robes don't suit him either._ Sirius ignored the amused expressions on the Weasleys' faces and proceeded to wipe the soot off his robes as discretely as possible. Mrs. Weasley turned to face Sirius, while Harry quietly plucked a grape from the fruit bowl behind him.

"Well, Sirius, you're certainly looking better than you were yesterday. What's the occasion?"

Sirius scanned the room quickly, an anxious look crossing his face.

"Oh, emmm, no occasion. 'Just didn't want to offend you with my, emmm, habitual convict look. Afterall, you are letting my godson stay, so it was the least I could do to make myself, emmm, somewhat more presentable. These are nothing really. Blame Lupin, he did the charm-"

"Okay. She's outside, by the way."

" 'Don't know who you mean", Sirius mumbled.

Mrs. Weasley smiled knowingly and stuck her head out the kitchen door.

"Arabella! They're here!"

Harry wandered over to Ron and the twins and whispered, "What's going on?" Before they could answer, Arthur Weasley stepped into the kitchen, followed by a short, blonde-haired woman in deep purple robes. She smiled kindly at Harry before turning to stand next to Sirius. She was much shorter than Sirius, her head just reaching his shoulders, and was slim with deep brown eyes. Her long blonde hair cascaded wildly down her back in slight curls and this, added to her loose flowing robes gave Harry the impression that she was than fussy about her appearance. Indeed, she had a very relaxed and cheerful expression that Harry took an instant liking to. He looked after her as she stood next to Sirius, surprised that her eyes had not travelled up to linger on his scar. Almost every wizard and witch that Harry had ever met had looked for the famous lightening-bolt-shaped scar, as though to confirm his identity. Mr. Weasley introduced her.

"Harry, this is Arabella Figg. She's been improving the protections around the Burrow to make it safe for you."

Harry sighed inwardly, annoyed at himself for causing so much trouble for the Weasleys. Arabella simply smiled at him, as though searching his face. _She looks familiar. Maybe she was at my parents' wedding._

"Hello, Harry. Don't you recognise me?"

## Arabella Figg…Of course, Dumbledore mentioned her after the Triwizard Tournament. I don't think I've met her, though.

"Perhaps if I remind you of a certain incident involving a certain Playstation and a broken leg…"

Comprehension suddenly dawned on Harry's face and Sirius laughed at his confused expression.

"Mrs. Figg?! But you're too, I mean you're too-" 

"Young?" Arabella prompted, "Yes, well, I'm not _that young _anymore, but I assure you this is my real appearance. Luckily, my sweet little old lady disguise allowed me to watch over you without attracting suspicion while you were growing up. I did it as a favour to Sirius here, not long after he was sent to Azkaban".

At this Sirius nodded grimly and took her hand. Harry was surprised at the gesture and at the look of devotion in his godfather's eyes. The two were clearly very close, and Harry wondered if they had been lovers before Sirius had gone to prison. _That would explain the robes._ Sirius and Arabella were looking into each other's eyes and, as though they were sharing an unspoken conversation, they each nodded, apparently in agreement. Sirius turned to look at him anxiously.

"Harry, I'm afraid we have another bombshell to lay on you. Arabella was good friends with your parents, especially Lily, and well, you know I'm your godfather, but did you never wonder who your godmother was?"

Harry was dumbfounded and amazed that the thought had never occurred to him. _All those years, and they never told me…Why? She could at least have told me after I started Hogwarts and learned about my parents. Why didn't she tell me? I was so miserable during the summers and to think I could have been with her and asked her all about my parents…All those times I was in her house and she pretended to be some crazy old cat-obsessed woman…It was all an act._ Harry tensed up, feeling the anger and hurt course through his veins. _Yet another person who lied to me._ He didn't notice as Mrs. Weasley ushered her children out of the room, leaving him alone with Sirius and Arabella. Harry raised his head defiantly and glared at his godparents. He looked into Sirius' concerned face and suddenly discovered that he hated his godfather with every inch of his being. Sirius approached Harry, his arm outstretched to hug him, but Harry recoiled, a look of utmost loathing replacing his normally good-natured expression. 

"Harry, what's wrong. I thought you'd be happy", Sirius stammered.

"HAPPY?!'You think I was happy growing up with no family, when my own godmother lived across the street and I didn't know it? You're ridiculous, you know that? You can't do anything right! You couldn't even save my parents-"

Arabella suddenly advanced on him. SLAP!

"How dare you say that! Sirius loved your parents, his only mistake was that he loved them too much. Lily would be so ashamed of you!"

Harry raised a shaking hand to his burning face. He could feel his throat constricting and hot tears welling up in his eyes. Arabella looked furious. Sirius was standing behind her, a mixture of hurt and shock in his face. Harry realised that he had gone too far, and felt terrible. He couldn't bear to see Sirius looking so appalled, and to know that it was all his fault. He opened his mouth to try to utter an apology, but it hurt to speak while crying and no sound came out, so he turned and ran out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into Ron's orange bedroom. He threw himself onto his own bed and buried his face in the pillow, his tears flowing freely.

***

Arabella put her arms around Sirius and led him over to a chair by the kitchen table. He looked devastated, almost as bad as the day she had visited him in Azkaban, a week into his incarceration.

_"Sirius, you have to be strong. Don't let this place destroy you. Peter's guilt will be exposed soon, and you'll be free"._

_ _

_"How do you know about Peter?"_

_ _

_"I love you, and I know you're innocent. It had to be Peter"._

_ _

_"How could I have been so stupid? I told them Peter would be a better Secret-Keeper, that I was too obvious. Lily and James trusted me…"_

_ _

_"You did what you thought was best. It wasn't your fault. You have to stop dwelling on this. Think of little Harry. Isn't it amazing what he did?"_

_ _

_"Yes, I can hardly believe it, but James always suspected he was special. 'Bella, you will look after him, won't you? I hate to think of him being brought up by the muggles."_

_ _

_"Of course I will. I promised Lily that I would, and as soon as you get out of here we can rear him together. It's what they would have wanted."_

_ _

_"I hope I get out of here soon, 'Bella."_

_ _

_"You will."_

But Sirius didn't get out soon. He spent twelve long years slowly rotting away in his cell in Azkaban, just barely hanging on to his sanity through his ability to transform into Padfoot. _I wish I'd known then about Padfoot. I would not have deserted him if I'd known. _Arabella still felt guilty about abandoning him to the dementors of Azkaban and not visiting after that first and only time. She had looked at the other demented prisoners and feared that the same fate awaited Sirius. She didn't want to witness his inevitable descent into lunacy. For comfort, she had tried to convince herself that it would be kinder to him if she stayed away as, knowing his pride, he would not want her to see him so diminished. And so she had deserted him, along with everyone who had ever cared for him: Remus, Mundungus, his parents, even Dumbledore. She had been amazed when he had turned up on her doorstep in Privet Lawns a fortnight ago. She knew of his escape a year earlier, of course, but after a year had passed and he still hadn't tried to contact her, she had assumed that he still blamed her for abandoning him in prison. _I should have known it would be the opposite way around, that he would think that I blamed him for betraying Lily and James. What a pair we are!_ She turned to look at Sirius, who was staring down at the kitchen table, a look of the utmost misery on his face. Sensing her gaze, he raised his head wearily.

"I didn't think he'd react like that. I knew I should have told him about you sooner".

"Dumbledore had good reason for not letting us tell him. I'm sure it was for the best."

"Do you think he'll forgive me? I've never seen him so angry".

"Sirius, I think he'll be the one asking for forgiveness. If he's anything like James, he'll be up there now punishing himself for what he said to you. I'm sure he didn't mean it. Just let him cool off for awhile."

***

Harry found himself soaring across the black countryside on the back of an enormous bird. The beating of its wings pulsed deafeningly, the sound travelling far and wide in the chill of the night air, and Harry was sure he'd be seen. For some reason it seemed important to remain hidden, but in the unquestioning acceptance of his dream-state, Harry didn't try to figure out why. He stretched his body forward in the bird's warm feathers and clung tightly to it's back. They seemed to be flying at ever increasing speeds until, after what seemed an eternity, they began to slow down and descend. The bird swooped sharply into a cave and glided stealthily through a dimly lit passage. They stopped at the entrance to a large chamber that was well-lit with torches and a large fire in its centre. Harry got down carefully from the bird's back and saw that it was a gigantic phoenix, with deep red and gold plumage. He gently stroked the beautiful creature, admiring its bright golden eyes and appreciating the warmth and softness of its feathers, but froze when a familiar, cruel voice reached his ears from the large chamber.

"You have done well, Lucius. Lord Voldemort rewards his loyal servants, isn't that so, Severus?"

"Yes, my Lord. It is an honour to serve you."

"It's surprising, then, Severus, that you saw fit to return to the house, when I ordered you to return immediately with the others".

"I apologise for disobeyingyour orders, my Lord. I wanted to make sure the curse had been performed correctly."

"You will not disobey me again, Severus! Do not make me doubt your loyalty! Perhaps a little dose of pain will remind you who your master is. Crucio!"

Severus Snape's screams echoed through the chamber, driving a chill down Harry's spine, yet he felt to paralysed to do anything.

"Come here, Lucius! I am naming you my Chief Lieutenant. Once I obtain the Article from Potter, you shall command my dark forces in the final assault. It is a position of great responsibility. Do not disappoint me!"

"No, my Lord. There is something else, my Lord. I discovered this in Potter's house…"

***

Harry woke suddenly in complete darkness. His head was throbbing and his scar was burning on his forehead. He reached out blindly for his quill and parchment to write down his dream before he forgot it, and searched stupidly until he realised he was no longer in his bedroom in Privet Drive. He sat up in bed, trying to remember all the details of his dream. _A bird… Voldemort and Malfoy…A reward (what was it again?)…something else…Damn! It's gone already._ Ron was snoring loudly in the other bed. _Better go back to sleep._ Harry lay back and closed his eyes, his body luxuriating in the warmth and comfort of the soft mattress. _I could really sleep tonight, it's so comfortable. _He turned over in bed, pulling the covers tight around him. _That damn curse! Why do I have to get a headache on the one night when I could actually sleep?_ His head felt heavy on the pillow and was throbbing so intensely that it felt as if it was physically expanding and contracting, both from the curse and from crying himself to sleep. Banishing any hope of sleep, Harry got up and made his way slowly downstairs. _I forgot to ask if Sirius was staying here. I wouldn't blame him for leaving now. God, I'm starving. _He filled a glass with water from the tap, too lazy to use magic, took a scone from thebread-bin, and walked uncertainly into the pitch black living room.. He slumped heavily onto the couch and closed his eyes.

"Harry?"

Harry jumped in surprise at the sound of Sirius' voice and winced as the pain in his head redoubled. Sirius must have been sitting in the armchair across the room, but Harry hadn't seen him. He heard Sirius getting up and coming over to him.

" 'You okay? Why aren't you asleep?"

"Headache. Listen, Sirius, I'm really sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it, it just came out 'cause I was angry-"

"I know. I've never known you to lose your temper. That's more my area of expertise, but I can understand why you did. Harry, I wanted to tell you about Arabella, but we've never really had a chance to talk to each other properly, since I'm always on the run or busy running Dumbledore's errands. I was waiting for the right moment, but it was naïve of me to expect you to be happy and forget what you've suffered. I'm sorry for handling this so badly."

" 'But why didn't Mrs. Figg tell me? She had plenty of opportunities…"

Sirius sighed, "Harry, Dumbledore and Arabella felt it would be best if you didn't know, for your own safety and peace of mind. I guess they didn't want you to hear about me being locked up in Azkaban for betraying your parents. Once I escaped, however, Dumbledore gave her permission to tell you everything, but she wanted to wait until we could tell you together. Also, had you known about Arabella, you would have wanted to live with her, but it wouldn't have been safe. The Dursleys have protected you in ways you don't understand yet".

"That's what Dumbledore always says, but I don't see why I have to be protected all the time. I don't understand why Voldemort keeps coming after me. Is it just because of what my mother did to make him lose his powers?"

"Harry, I honestly don't know, and even if I did, I'd leave it to Dumbledore to tell you-"

"But you must have some idea…"

"All I know is that James always said there was something special about you. After you were born, he and Dumbledore spent a lot of time with you, testing your powers. I don't know why. You were an usual baby, unusual in that you showed signs of magical abilities from the day you were born. Most wizard children don't start performing magic until six or seven, and only when frightened or stressed in some way, but you could summon your bottle, and even Lily, before you opened your eyes. Perhaps Voldemort has set his sights on your powers. You're still young, and it'll be a while yet before you reach your full maturity as a wizard. I'd say he wants to get you before you become too powerful for him to defeat, but that's just my idea…I'm sure Dumbledore knows the true reason, though. He'll tell you when you're ready".

Harry yawned and shrugged in resignation. 

"Why don't you go back up to sleep now? It's late."

"I can't sleep with this damn headache. I hope it stops soon, I have trouble enough getting to sleep as it is."

Sirius eyed him suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. You're right, it's late. I'm going up to bed. G'night!"

Sirius watched him leave, relieved that they were talking again, but concerned about Harry's obvious preoccupation with his own background. _. Maybe I should talk to Dumbledore about him answering some of Harry's questions, although that might just give him more to worry about. _He was too young to have so much to deal with, and his headaches weren't making it any easier. _Damn Malfoy. God help him if I ever run into him in a deserted alleyway. There must be something we can do about him. I'll bring it up at the next meeting of the Order. _Sirius yawned and stretched out on the sofa. _Well, there's nothing I can do about it now. 'Might as well go to sleep. _He closed his eyes and relaxed into the cushions, sighing._ 'Wonder what Harry thinks of Arabella. I hope they get along okay. Right! Nothing I can do. Enough!Sleep!"_

_ _

A/N: I hope Voldemorts entrance isn't too melodramatic. He won't be a main character and I certainly won't be exploring his POV, as I think his menace and mystique are best expressed by leaving him in the background. I'm sorry for turning Sirius into a girl, but I think he may have designs on Arabella and so has naturally turned to mush, as guys do. Expect more action and cliffhangers in the next few chapters. I'll try to get part four up quickly, but it may be a few days (I hate exams, but I have to get this damn scholarship).

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, especially those who have done so from the start. It's very encouraging, and nothing else could tear me from my studies (yeah right!) to write this series.

Firecross: Wow! I almost feel compelled to review your review. It's as long as some of the fics I've read! Say, you haven't seen Star Wars, have you?! I think you'd like it J.Maybe I'll try a Star Wars/ Harry Potter Crossover next. Now there's a challenge. As for the Harry/ Luke Skywalker thing, I'll try not to make it too corny, but let's face it, Rowling must be leading up to Harry having some kind of hidden powers. Yes, it really could be ghastly, so I'll tread carefully. However, this isn't going to be another "Harry discovers hidden powers" fic. Personally, I think Dumbledore is Obi-wan, Sirius is Han Solo (older than Luke, but young at heart), Remus is Yoda (He is the brains of the marauders, afterall), Voldemort is definitely Darth Vadar (maybe he is Harry's father. You know, he could have raped Lily, but then how do I explain the similarities between James and Harry? Hmmm…Okay, maybe not.) Right, I've got it: James is Darth Vadar and he was actually a secret Death Eater. This would explain why he came out of Harry's wand after Lily in GOF. He was killed last, after Lily, and didn't die protecting her, but once she died he realised he wasn't such a bad guy afterall ala Darth Vadar and tried to save his son.) Amen to Fudge the Hutt. You mentioned a possible attack on the Weasley house. Well, I'm saying nothing, but you may find clues in this chapter. That Order of Merlin sounds good. I've been waiting long enough. Heck, I saved the Boy-Who-Lived from those nasty Death Eaters and their cruel curses. I'll be available for the presentation ceremony. Just owl me with the dates!

Harry's Mum Lily: Knew I could depend on you to review again. Thanks! The details of the curse will be explained in a later chapter.

Kay Hatter: Glad you liked it.

Person: likewise. Thanks for reviewing again.

Rede: No problem, thanks for saying you like it.

Demon_child: I can see you're desperate for me to kill someone off. Well, you're a frequent reviewer so I might repay you by doing so. Just try to keep Evil_Child under control in the meantime, if that's possible.J

Harry Potter addict: Great! I'm flattered.

Lizzy/ Tygrestick Yeah, poor Sirius, he's smiitten.

Maverick: Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this as much as the other parts.

Fiona: Glad you've gotten into the series, I made this chapter longer than I originally intended so this should keep you going for awhile.

Anya: Thanks for reviewing. I'll have to help poor Harry out soon.

Orion Black: Okay, calm down! I'm not turning him into a drag queen, at least not yet! 

Amanda Mancini: This should clear up the whole embarrassing dress robe incident.

Person2: Great, thanks for reviewing!

Dr. Telli: Will do.

Adelina: Glad you're amused! ("Resistance" is looking good, by the way).

PEZ: Well, you may be right, but I'm not saying, so there! Percy is my least favourite Weasley too. You really shouldn't be giving me ideas!

RavenNat: Great, please keep readiing!

Pleiades


	5. Chapter V

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except my ideas.

# The Secret Keeper V

**A New Hope**

** **

"Come on, Harry. It's two in the afternoon. You're getting up!"

Harry grunted and turned over in his bed to face the wall. _Need more sleep._ Exasperated, Ron stormed out of the room for the third time that day and joined the twins outside. Fred and George were hovering on their broomsticks about a meter off the ground, tossing a quaffle back and forth. On seeing Ron's approach, George called out to to him.

"Hey, where's Harry?"

" 'Usual place."

"Oh".

Fred looked around cautiously before exclaiming, " Geez! 'Talk about favouritism. Mum practically dragged us out of bed at ten-"

"-And Mum will continue to drag you out of your warm comfy beds _everyday_ at ten until you get that hideous stain _completely_ off the kitchen ceiling."

The three boys jumped, startled at their mother's sudden appearance in the garden.

"Aw, come off it, Mum, it's barely noticeable", George pleaded.

"It's bright red!" she interjected.

"Look at it this way, Mum: It's a status symbol. Now everybody who enters the house will know that we're serious inventors-"

"'Just get rid of it! Professor Dumbledore and the others will be here this afternoon. The place looks bad enough as it is. It better be gone in an hour".

"Right, Mum", chorused the twins resignedly.

The three boys watched as their mother returned to the house before resuming their conversation.

"Hey, I bet he'd get up for Ginny…" Fred began.

"Who?" George asked.

"Harry, of course. Geez, no wonder you only got four owls".

"Em, so did you, Fred".

"Ah, touché, Mr. Weasley! Nice comeback.. What d'you say, Ron? Harry and Ginny, eh?"

"No way. Cho Chang is the only girl for Harry."

"Ah, but not anymore. She won't want anything to do with him after what happened to Cedric Diggory-"

" Shhh! What if he heard you saying that?"

"Well, its true. I reckon the kindest thing to _do_ is to set him up with Ginny. It'll take his mind off her, won't it?"

"No. Just leave him alone! Besides, Ginny grew out of her Harry-worship ages ago. Find someone else to annoy."

Ron returned to the house, an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Somehow, he didn't think he'd convinced the twins to leave Harry alone. _Maybe I should warn him._ _The last thing he needs right nowis more trouble in his life._ _But what do I know? Maybe he does like Ginny. 'But I always thought that him and Hermione-no, silly idea, really. Hermione's not his type anyway, she's more my type. I wouldn't want to see her end up with Harry. She'd be miserable with him almost getting himself killed every week. Yes, they're right. He'd be much better off with Ginny or Cho. 'But I'll warn him, just in case._

***

Harry tossed and turned in his bed, stupidly trying to straighten the blankets that were now half on the floor. His feet felt cold and he knew that if he wanted to retrieve the covers he'd have to get up. Finally resigned to his fate, Harry sat up quickly, wincing at the sudden pain in his head, and surveyed the mess of his bed. He weakly tugged on the blankets and restored them but was too lazy to bother tucking them in against the wall. He lay back down, luxuriating in the warmth, and tried to go back to sleep. His head was still aching constantly and he was starting to worry that it would never go away. Sirius had left the Burrow the night after his dream and gone to Hogwarts to help Madam Pomfrey in her study of the curse Malfoy had hit Harry with. He knew practically nothing about medicine, but was a self-confessed curse-expert due to his years of practice with the Marauders. Almost a week had passed, however, and Sirius still hadn't been able to report any progress. The potions Madam Pomfrey sent to the Burrow helped somewhat, but their effects diminished quickly and it was dangerous to take them more than twice a day. He hadn't been sleeping very well, despite not having anymore dreams about Voldemort. Even his nightmares about the Triwizard Tournament seemed to have vanished, although Harry suspected that was because he was unable to sleep for more than two or three hours at a time. 

He desperately hoped that Madam Pomfrey would discover something to cure the curse soon but it was difficult to be hopeful after the events of the last fortnight. He still hadn't seen Mrs. Figg since the night of his fight with Sirius and was tired of not knowing whether or not they were supposed to be friends now. He longed to reach some kind of agreement with her so he could stop worrying about it, but she hadn't paid a single visit to the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley had assured him that she was not staying away because she was angry with him. She was apparently a member of some new anti-Voldemort organisation called The Order of the Phoenix and was busy trying to track down Death Eaters. Harry knew nothing about this organisation and was hoping to ask Sirius about it whenever he returned.

The sound of heavy footfalls echoed on the wooden stairs. _Here he comes again. Maybe it's time I was getting up…_ Ron entered the room and glared angrily at Harry.

"Well, are you getting up _now_?"

"I dunno. 'Still a bit early. I kinda fancied a lie-in this morning.."

"Haha, very funny. Come on, Snuffles will be here soon."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'd know if you'd gotten up like the rest of us! Sirius is coming, with Dumbledore and some other people. "

"Why?"

"I don't know. Something to do with_you_, obviously. It'd probably help if you were actually _there_, you know?".

"Oh. Right, you can stop your whinging, I'm getting up."

"'Bout ruddy time-"

"Ron, please don't make me defy the decree for underage wizardry again. I'd really prefer not to hex you, but if you're gonna be a grumpy little Slytherin-"

"Right, Potty. That sounds like a challenge to me".

Ron seized a pillow and lurched at Harry, who quickly rolled off the bottom of his bed, taking his own pillow with him. Harry rushed at Ron, ready to bombard him with a series of well-aimed blows, but the larger Weasley quickly gained the upper hand and successfully disarmed his opponent. He had his pillow in the air ready to strike when Ginny suddenly ran in. She laughed at Harry, who's hair was even more messed than usual and sticking up off his head at a ninety degree angle, before recollecting herself.

"Mum says you're both to come down now. They'll be here in five minutes."

"Damn. I nearly defeated the Great Harry Potter. Maybe You-Know-Who would have more luck if he used pillows instead of a wand. I'll get you next time, Potty-"

"Not if I get you first, you Slytherin slime-"

"NOW!" screamed Mrs. Weasley from downstairs.

"Fine, it'll have to wait. Get dressed, Harry. I'll see you downstairs."

***

As Harry made his way downstairs, attempting to smooth down his unruly hair, he could hear the voices of several people coming from the living room. He entered uncertainly to see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Sirius, Remus Lupin, all the Weasleys (except Bill and Charlie), and another man he didn't recognise all sitting around the room engaged in an animated discussion. Dumbledore smiled at Harry as he entered, before turning back to Lupin. Harry sat down on the floor next to Fred and glanced around the unusually crowded living room.

"What happened to the stain?"

"Mum made us remove it."

"Oh, sorry."

"Thanks. You know, Harry, sometimes I think you're the _only_ one who understands."

Harry laughed and turned around to Sirius, who was sitting on the sofa behind him. Sirius smiled at him, giving Harry the impression that he had good news. _At least he's ditched the robes. _Before Harry could ask what had happened, Dumbledore stood up and addressed the room.

"First of all allow me to introduce Mundungus Fletcher".

Dumbledore nodded to a chubby and slightly balding man sitting next to Mr. Weasley. Harry recognised the name from when Dumbledore had asked Sirius to contact the "Old Crowd" after the Triwizard Tournament. Fletcher seemed to be about the same age as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, with intelligent-looking eyes and rather demure dark grey robes. Dumbledore was introducing everyone in turn to him, and it appeared that most of the adults already knew him. Harry was astonished, however, at the look of pure hatred Sirius shot at Mundungus when it was his turn to be introduced. Dumbledore seemed uncomfortable.

"And you know Sirius, of course-".

Mundungus simply nodded and, with a closed expression on his face, motioned for Dumbledore to introduce him to Harry.

"This, of course, is Harry Potter. Harry, Mundungus worked alongside your parents as an auror."

"Oh, emm, pleased to meet you.." Harry began, trying to smile politely, but aware of Sirius glaring at him. Confused, Harry sat back down and looked at Dumbledore, who was looking anxiously at Sirius. _I wonder what this is all about._ Mundungus sat back down next to Mr. Weasley, carefully avoiding Sirius' eyes. Dumbledore continued speaking:

"Now, as you all know, Harry was hit by an unusual curse a week ago. Sirius has been helping Madam Pomfrey to try to work out exactly how the curse works. We knew it was a variation on the Cruciatus curse, however its effects have been much more severe and long-lasting, as I'm sure Harry will testify."

Harry nodded and Dumbledore continued.

"Sirius, I'll let you explain the particulars of the curse-"

"Well, it seems to concentrate all the power of the Cruciatus curse on one part of the body, in this case, the brain. However, it does not stop at that. The curse seems to perpetuate indefinitely until it has completely destroyed the organ it attacks. This makes it much more powerful and detrimental, I'm afraid, as it directly attacks the seat of a wizard's magical abilities. I believe You-Know-Who is trying to destroy Harry's powers so that killing him will be somewhat easier".

Mrs. Weasley voiced an appalled shriek at this news, but Harry was surprised to find that he didn't feel very worried. He seemed numb, as if after everything that had happened this wasn't very surprising. He simply accepted what Sirius had to say, and wondered why he looked so happy about it.

"How long does it take?" asked Remus Lupin.

Sirius grinned mischievously,

"About a day. Harry, it didn't work, at least not properly. You were able to resist it, but I don't know how long the pain will last. Poppy is working on a better potion to control the pain, but she's pretty sure it will stop soon.".

"'But why didn't it work?" Mundungus asked.

Dumbledore gave him an annoyed glance that seemed to convey some hidden message. Mundungus looked down at his feet, and Dumbledore began to speak again.

"What else did you discover, Sirius?"

"The adaptation they made to the Cruciatus curse can be applied to other curses, although with great difficulty. It may even be applicable to the Killing Curse, which would render it much more powerful, perhaps even powerful enough to kill You-Know-Who…"

"Is there any proof of that?" asked McGonagall sharply.

"No", stated Dumbledore, "However, I believe it will work. The adaptation they made to the Cruciatus Curse would have killed Harry, had it not been for a very fortunate event in his childhood that protected him. Voldemort should have realised that, and I'm sure he will now. He'll find a way around it, so we have to work quickly."

"Has this something to do with my mother's protection?"

"Not exactly, Harry. It goes much deeper than that, down to the entire reason that Voldemort had for wanting to kill your parents. Are you ready to know the truth, Harry?"

Harry swallowed nervously, awed that he was about to discover the answers to all his questions. He could feel the eyes of the entire room resting on him. In a quiet, unsteady voice, he replied.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait for this part, but I wanted to wait until some of the uproar surrounding the new chaptering system died down a bit before posting.

Thanks to all my reviewers, especially the more manic of you, i.e. Firecross:Review-Writer Exraordinaire.

Pleiades


	6. Chapter VI

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything (or maybe the all-powerful and all-knowing Warner Bros. Corporation does. I bow down before thee, Oh Mighty Ones and beg leave to borrow Your registered trademark.)

# The Secret Keeper VI

**A Darker Shade of Green**

** **

Harry seemed impatient as he waited for everyone to leave the room. He gazed after them with keen eyes as though willing them to speed up as they left.Dumbledore suspected that Harry half-wanted Sirius to stay, but decided it would be best if he spoke to Harry alone. That way Harry would be able to decide later if he really wanted anyone to know the truth about his beginnings. Dumbledore surveyed him closely from across the small room, noticing the changes that four long years had wrought in him. He seemed nervous and a little intimidated, sitting alone under the intense gaze of his headmaster, and Dumbledore was surprised to see him blush slightly as he got up from the floor to sit in a more dignified position on the couch. _He so wants me to view him as an adult. He's really quite oblivious of the respect people have for him, just like his father. _Harry had come along way from the small skinny boy who had worried about having been sorted into the wrong house. And as he had grown, so had he increased in likeness to his father. Harry now resembled a slightly world-weary but intelligent and good-natured James Potter. His hair was as black and untidy as ever, but his eyes were a darker shade of green than Dumbledore recalled from his first encounter with the young Harry Potter. He had been through hell and back, but emerged triumphant, and Dumbledore felt a certain pride in knowing that he had helped shape the man that Harry was fast becoming. Dumbledore was unsure if this was the right time to tell Harry about his parents. He had intended to wait until he came of age at sixteen, but the rebirth of Voldemort had changed all his well-made plans. Harry needed to know the truth now as his life depended on it. Dumbledore sat up straight in his chair and faced the younger wizard.__

Sitting alone under Dumbledore's intense gaze was always intimidating, and this time Harry felt it more than ever. Dumbledore was staring at him intently and Harry once again had the feeling that Dumbledore's eyes could see beyond physical appearances. Harry waited for the headmaster to come out of his reverie, which seemed to take an eternity until Dumbledore finally sat upright and began to speak.

"Well, Harry. This isn't how I envisaged this moment. I had planned to answer all your questions in my office at Hogwarts when you came of age, but unfortunately the circumstances have changed. I'm not sure if you're really ready to hear the full truth, but I know you are brave and will accept what I have to tell you, though perhaps not all at once."

Dumbledore took out his wand and performed a silencing charm on the room, so that nobody outside would be able to hear. Once again, he looked closely at Harry.

"What do you know of your parents?"

Harry was taken aback by this question, expecting Dumbledore to simply explain everything in his calm, melodic voice.

"I just know what they look like, really, from the photographs I have. My Dad looked like me, except for his blue eyes. He was good at quidditch. He liked performing pranks on people when he was at school. He hated Professor Snape. He was an Animagus and an auror. Emm…I don't know much else about him, I guess. My Mum had red hair and green eyes…"

Harry struggled to remember anything else he may have heard about his mother and was startled to realise that there was nothing. People often compared him to his father, but rarely mentioned his mother. It was a little unsettling to have such strong feelings for someone he didn't really know. He could read between the lines and say that she was brave for dying to try and save him, but beyond that he had nothing definite to help him understand what she was really like when she was alive.

"You don't know a great deal about Lily, and there's a reason for that. To most people she was a fairly typical witch and mother, however she was exceptionally talented where charms were concerned. People naturally knew more about James, because of his fame on the Quidditch pitch and his pranks. Lily was quieter and so it is generally assumed that there was more to know about James than her, but that isn't entirely true. You may find this hard to believe, but Lily was directly descended from Godric Gryffindor himself-"

"'But that's impossible. Her parents were muggles. Aunt Petunia-"

"…is a squib, Harry, who couldn't accept being so different from the rest of her family. Her parents were not muggles, though you may have been led to believe that. Death Eaters killed the Evans when Lily was fifteen. Petunia was, let me see, yes, eighteen at the time and had left home years ago to marry Vernon Dursley. Both Lily and Petunia are descended from a long line of Gryffindors, however, due to her inability to perform magic, Voldemort never regarded Petunia as a threat and so left her quite alone. Lily, however, was a threat. She was a very powerful witch in her own right, but quite apart from this, Voldemort was frightened of her because of what she had inherited when she came of age. It was her birthright as the only magical heir of Gryffindor to inherit some of his possessions, which had been passed down from heir to heir over the centuries. Among these was the Penna Potissimus. Do you know what that is?"

Harry shook his head, feeling quite stupid.

"The Penna Potissimus is quite simply a phoenix feather, however wizards view it with the same reverence that the muggles bear for the Ark of the Covenant. It is the primal feather that was laid down by Fawkes when he was first born, incidentally the same year as the founding of Hogwarts. The Penna holds immense power, power that Voldemort would very much like to control. It is vital that this power remain in the hands of Gryffindor's true heir, you, Harry, as before he died, Godric Gryffindor stored a good deal of his own power and spirit within it. And when I say that the Penna should _remain_ in your hands I mean exactly that. You are the only one who knows where it is, for now."

"No, I don't. I've never even heard of it-"

Dumbledore laughed, his eyes twinkling in merriment.

"I have always known you would react like that. You should really stop doubting yourself, Harry!"

Now Harry was very confused. Perhaps there had been some terrible mistake.

"But I'm telling you-I really haven't a clue where it is…"

"I would suggest you find it, then, as it is very valuable."

"'But how-"

"Alright, allow me to explain. Lily's parents were killed because her mother was the heir of Gryffindor and therefore the keeper of the Penna. Voldemort tried to take it from her by force, but she resisted and was killed, having never revealed to him the location of the Penna. She could not have revealed it even if she had wanted to, because she simply didn't know where it was. You see, when Lily was born, her mother, Sarah Evans, decided to employ a very effective method for guarding the Penna that had been employed by Gryffindors for generations, the Fidelius Charm. Sarah hid the Penna in a safe place and performed the Charm, making Lily her Secret Keeper. Only Lily knew where the Penna was when Voldemort attacked the Evans, but she didn't know that she knew, if you understand me. It was a brilliant plan, and so Lily performed the same charm when her own child was born. You were her Secret Keeper, Harry, and only you know where the Penna is."

Harry was dumbstruck. What was he supposed to do, just think about where it could be and see if the answer just popped into his head? This was ridiculous. _I really don't know where it is. What can I say to him?_

_ _

"I know this is quite a lot to take in, Harry. Don't expect the answer to come to you at once, it may take awhile. I _am_ worried however, that your resistance to Malfoy's curse will give Voldemort some clues as to how the Penna is being guarded. The only reason you were able to resist it was because it was inspired by an unlawful desire to find the Penna. The Fidelius Charm is designed to protect the Secret Keeper from revealing their secret. Had you been killed, Voldemort's way to the Penna would have been cleared. If he has worked this out for himself, he may step up his attempts to capture you. That is why I wish you to remain here for now. The Burrow is safe, and will be guarded constantly. Do not leave it under any circumstances!If you think you know where the Penna is let me know, but do not tell me where it is and do not leave here to retrieve it! Remember, Harry, that you must keep this to yourself. The power of the Penna can only be wielded by the true heir of Gryffindor. Anyone else who tries to bend it to their will will sink into darkness and pure evil."

Harry swallowed hard trying to take in every word that Dumbledore had spoken. He felt as if he should say something but didn't know where to begin. He had to get his thoughts in order.

"I shall leave you to your thoughts now, Harry. Perhaps this will help-"

Dumbledore waved his wand over a small area of the floor. A silvery light protruded from it and gradually began to take on a form. Harry kneeled on the floor and watched in amazement as the shape of a pensieve appeared before his eyes, the silvery light from which it was formed dimming to give it the appearance of a solid wooden dish.

"Whenever you wish to add a thought, bring your wand to your head while you think it, then place your wand in the liquid like so-"

Harry grinned as an image of his Patronus galloped across the dish, hitting three black-cloaked figures and sending Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle toppling to the ground. Dumbledore smiled and stood up.

"Good luck, Harry. If you need anything else, write to me."

"Thanks, Professor.."

Harry heard a pop and looked up from his pensieve, but Dumbledore had already disapparated.

***

Harry looked up in surprise as Sirius knocked timidly on the living-room door and opened it slowly. Sirius absorbed the image of his godson kneeling on the floor next to a pensieve, a glazed look in his eyes and immediately turned to leave, thinking that Harry wanted to be alone.

"It's alright You can come in if you want…"

Sirius entered the room and squatted down on the floor next to Harry, unsure what to say.

"You've been in here awhile… Dumbledore give you that?" _Stupid question, Black, of course he did. _

_ _

Harry just nodded.

"I never really understood why anyone would need one until now."

"Do you want talk about it?"

"No, not yet… I just need to think, but thanks."

"Well, I'm available if you change your mind. In the meantime, how does chicken curry sound?"

Harry laughed in surprise.

"Sounds great. I'll be in in a minute,"

Sirius patted his shoulder and got up to leave. Alone again, Harry looked down into the silvery depths of the Pensieve. There was something hypnotic about watching the liquid swirl around the basin, defying gravity. Harry was still gazing down at it transfixed, when his scar suddenly erupted in agony. Harry gripped his head in his shaking hands and tried desperately not to scream out in pain as he rocked back and forth in anguish. The room swam around him and as he tried to stand up, the floor seemed to be at the wrong height. He fell heavily onto to the floor and blacked out.

***

"Crucio!"

A black-clad Draco Malfoy watched in horror as his father squirmed in agony on the stone floor before his Lord's throne.

"You lied to Me, Malfoy! He resisted the curse. Potter is still alive, I sense him constantly. He is as strong as he ever was, if not stronger. This is your last chance to share in My glory, Malfoy. The next time you fail Me will be the last."

"Yes, m-my Lord. I apologise for my incompetence…"

"If I am right that Potter is the Secret Keeper, he will be difficult to kill. You are to find out where this "Burrow" is and examine its defences. If we cannot kill him, we will make use of him. Now, go! Get out of My sight!"

Lucius Malfoy stood up weakly and dragged his agonized body from Voldemort's chamber. He did not glance at his son as he left.

"Come here, young Draco!"

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Soon you shall come of age and have the honour of entering My service. When that time comes I shall have specific duties for you to perform. If you perform them well, you shall replace your father as My Chief Lieutenant. A glorious future awaits you. Remember that the next time you see Potter!"

"Yes, my Lord."

***

"Harry! Dinner! Geez, what happened?"

Ron entered the living room to find Harry staggering to his feet, his hand unconsciously searching his scar.

"Was your scar hurting?"

"Yeah, but its gone now. Come on, I'm starving."

"Maybe you should tell Sirius, or Dumbledore."

"No need to worry them. That's the first time it's happened in ages. 'Probably just a false alarm."

Ron looked at his friend doubtfully as they entered the kitchen. It was never a false alarm, even Harry knew that. _I'll owl Hermione. She'll know what to do._

The two boys halted however, at the shocked expressions on everyone's faces. Mr. Weasley was crouched on the floor by the fire, a dazed expression on his face, Ginny was sitting at the table sobbing against George's shoulder and Sirius was trying to comfort a distraught Mrs. Weasley.

"What's happened?" Ron asked nervously.

"It's Percy, dear", his mother whimpered, "He's dead."

A/N: Haha, another cliffie! I have to stop doing this. Okay, as usual, if you read, please review. Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter V, I really appreciate your taking the time to give me some feedback, as I'm not writing this according to any plan. I'm sort of making it up as I go long, which isn't a great idea, I must admit. At least I seem to have finally discovered my plot-it should help! Anyway, part seven will probably be up midweek. Please, review!

Pleiades


	7. Chapter VII

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

The Secret Keeper VII

Harry kept his head low as he marched up the dusty path to the Burrow, trying to ignore the sympathetic glances from onlookers going about their daily business. Overhead the sun loomed bright and strong, but the air was oppressive and clammy.A great mass of black ahead of him represented the other mourners making up the enormous funeral procession, but Harry instinctively stayed at the rear, knowing that Ron would want to be alone with his family. As the procession turned up the winding path Harry caught a glimpse of the Weasleys, a sea of red heads, many of whom he had never seen before. He was amazed that anyone could have such a huge family. Charlie had introduced some of them to Harry that morning, but the names were jumbled up confusingly in his head and he certainly couldn't distinguish them by appearance alone. However, he could see Ron at the front with Fred and George, their too long robes trailing pathetically in the dirt. Ginny was walking a short distance behind them, holding Hermione's hand. There were dozens of other people Harry didn't know, mainly ministry officials and friends of Mr. Weasley. Arabella was there too, though Harry couldn't see her. He could see Sirius turning the bend in the path, walking slowly alongside a very bereaved-looking Remus Lupin. Dumbledore, of course, was instantly recognizable by his silver hair. He was walking with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley near the front of the procession. _A good turnout…I wonder if my parents funeral was like this…_

This had been Harry's first wizard funeral, but it hadn't been very different to some of the muggle funerals he had attended as a child. There had been a short service at the graveside, where Cornelius Fudge's aide had said a few fairly impassionate words of condolence, followed by a much more moving speech by Dumbledore. He placed the blame for Percy's death solely on Lord Voldemort and again called on everyone present to remember that their strength lay in their unity. It had been a quiet ceremony, except for the inevitable arrival of Daily Prophet reporters who had been swiftly removed by a furious Minerva McGonagall. It had been terrible, however, to see the Weasleys so torn with grief. Harry, who was so used to seeing a happy, cheerful Arthur Weasley, found himself completely unnerved by the uncharacteristic expression of anger and despair on his face. Harry had been shocked and almost frightened to see the same expression mirrored on Ron's visage. There had been no tears, just silent unspoken fury. Ginny, however, seemed the worst affected. Harry hadn't seen her stop crying once since she had first received the terrible news of her brother's death. Her sorrow moved him more than any sentimental speech, and he felt a deep wave of refusal and horror everytime he met her eyes. Harry was impressed with the stoic way that Ginny carried herself. She held her head up, determined not to present a figure of pity, while the tears ran silently down her raw pink skin.

Harry was still vaguely uneasy about Sirius walking in public, despite Dumbledore's assurances that nobody would see him save himself and Lupin. He was terrified that the headmaster would have to leave suddenly, forgetting about Sirius and breaking the spell that maintained his invisibility. Harry wondered if he would ever learn to make himself invisible without the use of his father's cloak. It would certainly be very useful. _Perhaps Dumbledore will teach me some day…_It seemed an unnecessary risk for Sirius to attend the funeral, but he had been adamant, claiming that it was the least he could do after all the kindness the Weasleys had shown his godson. Harry, however, suspected that he was just too nervous to let him leave the protections of the Burrow alone.

The ramshackle form of the Burrow suddenly appeared before Harry's eyes as the invisibility charms surrounding it were lifted momentarily to admit the mourners. Harry was one of the last to pass through the gates before a quiet hum behind him restored the charms. He trudged slowly into the crowded house, not noticing the small grey creature scampering into the overgrown weed-filled border under the living room window.

***

Harry found Sirius sitting on the kitchen porch, staring silently out at the setting sun. The sky was ablaze in a fire of magnificent oranges and reds, creating a stark contrast to Sirius's dark silhouette-like form. He turned at Harry's approach, inviting him to sit.

"Look at that, Harry! I can't tell you how I missed that in Azkaban-"

"The sun?"

Sirius nodded, "It's the sort of the thing you don't notice till its been taken from you. 'Really beautiful… Anyway, how's Ron?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen him. I think he wants to be alone."

"Poor kid. I don't think they ever expected it to happen…"

"No, at least not to Percy, Ron maybe, since he's with me a lot of the time, or Charlie, with his dragons, but not Percy. And we _still _don't know how it happened. All Mr. Weasley said was that he was killed after he left here. Do you know what happened exactly?"

A look of anger crossed the elder wizard's face, and his voice shook with emotion as he explained:

"After Dumbledore asked to speak to you alone, Remus asked Percy to apparate back to his place. You see, Percy had offered to provide us with important evidence incriminating the Minister of Magic in some way. Unfortunately, Percy didn't have time to tell us what his evidence was or where it would be before he died, but that's another story… They went back to Lupin's place. As they were walking toward the house, Remus thought he sensed something. To be honest, he thought he could catch Wormtail's scent, so he started to walk away from the house to try and find him. Percy walked ahead, unfortunately. The instant his hand touched the door handle, he died. Remus reckons it was the mortis curse and that it was intended for him…"

At these words Sirius shuddered.

"You think Wormtail was trying to kill Professor Lupin?"

"Perhaps not Remus, specifically. Lupin's place has been pretty open to anyone opposed to Voldemort since his return. It's practically the Order's headquarters…It's hard to say _who_ was the target. It might have been me, or Dumbledore, or any number of people. However, I know enough to trust Moony's instincts. If he says he smelt Wormtail, then I'm sure he did. We'll have to be on our guard. I'd love to get my paws on him. It'd be my pardon, Harry."

Harry nodded enthusiastically and Sirius continued:

"I feel sorry for Moony, though, having his home targeted like that. They're getting stronger, Harry. To find Moony's place was an achievement in itself, but to curse it would have required a great deal of skill. Wormtail must have had help. Of course, Remus can't go back there now; it won't be safe. I think he's staying with Arabella for the time being, lucky dog…"

"Are you, um, you know, in love with her or something?"

"It's complicated, Harry. We were lovers before I went to Azkaban, but I don't know if we still are. We've both changed a lot…I don't know; we'll see what happens. What do _you_ think of her?"

"I don't know. I don't feel like I really know her at all. All those years I thought she was just a batty old lady and now I hear she's a witch and a friend of my mum…I don't know what to think. She definitely seems to like _you_. "

"You think so?"

"Yup. She even punched the great Harry Potter for you".

Sirius laughed, "I guess you're right. She _does_ like me. Perhaps when you get to know her better you'll see that she's not just a violent, batty old witch. She's actually quite a nice person, once you get to know her. Well, we'll see…"

"Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her since this morning-"

They were interrupted by a shrill female voice, "Uh, Harry? Who are you talking to?"

It was Hermione. Harry laughed as he realized that she couldn't see Sirius. Sirius winked secretly at him and got up to approach her.

"Well? Have you finally gone MAD?! "

She yelled in fright as Sirius grabbed her under the arms, while Harry burst into laughter.

"It's just Snuffles. Come here, boy!"

Sirius dutifully walked back to Harry, smiling, "It's just me, Hermione. I'm invisible."

"Oh. It's nice to, em, hear you again, Snuffles, but you can keep your hands to yourself. Listen, Harry. I was thinking we should go talk to Ron. He seems really angry and I'm worried he might do something…"

"What, kill himself?!"

"No, of course not. I just mean that he might try to go after whoever killed Percy. I've never seen him so angry. Professor Dumbledore told him that he thinks it was Wormtail, and that he was trying to kill Professor Lupin."

Sirius turned to Harry and said, "You'd better talk to him, Harry. Tell him that Moony and I will catch Wormtail, and that if he interferes it will only make matters worse. Whatever happens, don't let him go after Pettigrew! If you suspect he's going to try something, tell me."

Harry nodded and left with Hermione. Alone on the kitchen porch, Sirius turned around to admire the final descent of the setting sun. A cool breeze played softly on his face and he relaxed into the warm oak of the doorframe. He felt excited, and a little anxious. It was as if he could sense that something was going to happen. He felt guilty that the news that Wormtail was pursuing Moony pleased him. In truth, he was just glad to have word of Wormtail, as his proximity increased the possibility of his capture. He didn't want to admit to himself that he suspected the rat would be caught soon, and that he would be free, for fear of jinxing it. Nevertheless, he couldn't still the excitement that rattled in his bones, and made him restless. It was only a matter of time…Sirius jumped at the thumping approach of two men, speaking in loud voices. Sirius swiftly retreated onto the patio and listened carefully to the bitter exchange as Mr. Weasley entered the kitchen with Charlie.

"Pettigrew! I can't believe it! I'll avenge Percy's death if it's the last thing I ever do."

"Dad, calm down…We don't have any proof, and you know Fudge will never take the word of a werewolf seriously-"

"Fudge! Damn him to hell. As soon as I found out what Percy had on him, I'll be sure to use it. I don't care what the Ministry believes, it was Pettigrew, and when I catch him, I'll kill him."

"Dad, keep your voice down, his aide is here, remember?"

Suddenly the porch door was shut, and Sirius heard no more. He sat down on the grass and sighed. This was bad. What if Arthur Weasley got to Wormtail before him? _He'd kill him at the first opportunity, and with it, my pardon…I have to do something. I have to find Wormtail, and soon._

_ _

***

When Harry and Hermione eventually found Ron, he was sitting on the window sill in his orange bedroom, twiddling something small and silver in his hands. He didn't look up as they entered, but continued to stare down at his hands. Harry and Hermione sat down on the two beds that were arranged on either side of the window. With a rush of pity, Harry realised that Ron was fingering Percy's prefect badge, his pride and joy. For a moment the three sat in silence until Ron suddenly spoke.

"He left it to me in his will. I think I should give it to Ginny. She misses him most."

Harry sighed inwardly. It seemed strange for a young man to have made a will, but with Percy it made perfect sense. He had a love of all things official, anything that called for paper work of some description. Harry appreciated the kind gesture, however, of leaving his prefect badge to Ron. Percy had been so proud to be a prefect, and Harry knew from his experiences of the Mirror of Erised that Ron yearned for a similar mark of achievement, something that would label him at least the equal of his talented brothers.

"I think he would have wanted you to have it, Ron. It meant the world to him. It was probably his way of telling you that you deserved it too."

A small sob escaped Ron's lips and Harry could tell that he was trying desperately not to cry, holding his breath and looking downward.

"I always teased him about it. I wish I'd been a bit more-"

It was no use. Ron started to cry uncontrollably, and Hermione ran over to the window and put her arms around him. Harry just sat still, feeling awkward and in the way. He felt embarrassed at seeing Ron in such a state, and was unsure how to act. He could hear Hermione saying comforting words to him, and remembered how he had felt when Mrs. Weasley had hugged him while he cried after Cedric's death. He had wanted Ron to look away. In that instant Harry made up his mind and quietly left the room. He made his way downstairs and into the living room, only to find another room full of people crying. He met a similar sight in the kitchen. Harry desperately wanted to get away from the grief, but having nowhere to go, opened the porch and stepped quietly into the garden. It was now quite dark, but he could just about make out the figure of his godfather standing in some hedges over to the far right.

"Snuffles?" he whispered.

"Shhhh!"

Sirius didn't turn around but motioned with his hand for Harry to go over to him. Harry crept quietly toward him and squinted in the faint light to try and see what Sirius was so interested in.

"What is it?"

"Footprints. Two sets…"

"Are you sure? I can only see one set, but then my sight isn't that great. Who do you think made them?"

"The man's I'm not too sure about, but I think I might have some idea about the rat's."

Harry snarled, "Wormtail! 'But how did he get in? "

"I don't know, but you can be damn sure he won't get out. Come on, lets go inside. We'd better alert Dumbledore and Moony. Its probably best if we don't say anything to the Weasley's yet. And don't you go wandering off! I want you to stay near me until its safe."

Harry nodded and walked quickly up to the house, his eyes scanning the garden as he went but he saw nothing. He had to walk quickly to keep up with Sirius's swift pace. Harry noticed that his godfather seemed more excited than frightened and that he seemed to have dismissed the fact that there were _two_ sets of footprints, only _one_ of which belonged to Pettigrew. On their way into the house they met Dumbledore who didn't seem very surprised at what Sirius told him. He led them promptly into the living room, where Remus was sitting with Arabella and Mundungus. The house was a lot emptier now, with most of the guests having left after offering their condolences to the Weasleys a final time. The three looked up questioningly as Dumbledore entered with Harry and gasped as the headmaster waved his wand to reveal Sirius sitting next to them on the sofa. They had difficulty understanding Sirius's hasty explanation:

"We found some rat footprints outside so it looks like Wormtail's gotten into the Burrow. Try to catch him alive, if possible."

"He may not be alone", Dumbledore continued, "as a set of human footprints were also found. Whoever they belong to, it's unlikely that person was an animagus, as they were not transformed when they left the prints. That makes them easier to find, however, I don't want you all to go out searching. Sirius, I want you and Remus to stay here with Harry," Dumbledore ignored the unspoken protest on Sirius's face, "Arabella, go outside with Mundungus and take a look around, but don't get separated. If you encounter any trouble send up red sparks. I'll be upstairs with the others if you need me."

After Dumbledore had retreated with Arabella and Mundungus, Harry sat down beside Sirius, suddenly feeling very tired. A glance at the clock showed it was only a little after ten. He stared dully into the flickering firelight, wondering how it would all end. 

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that part, and please, please, please don't forget to review. It makes my day. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter VI, namely (at the time I wrote this, so don't be offended if I leave you out by accident J):

Trinity Day: Wow, three reviews, thanks, Rede, someone2: Sorry, I'll try not to use too many cliffies, PEZ: Yup, you were right, congratulations! It's funny really, I'd forgotten about what you said about Percy when I wrote chapter 6 and for some reason I felt an overwhelming urge to kill him. There must have been some kind of subliminal message in that review of yours! Anyway, well done! Sorry if it was a bit too predictable. OrcaPotter: Thanks for saying you like my fic, I hope the next chapters live up to your expectations, Sailorcelestial: Imperio! You will keep reading my fics and reviewing…Kim: You have to calm down those muses of yours. Sorry if you don't like Ginny and Harry, but I never said that they were destined to be together, so relax. Maybe something awful will happen to make them hate each other by the end. Maybe Harry will notice that zit you mentioned, for example. Adelina: Ah, one of my most loyal reviewers. Thank you, thank you, thank you etc.

The next part will be up over the weekend, so keep an eye out!

Pleiades

# 


	8. Chapter VIII

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns everything.

# The Secret Keeper VIII

** **

Harry removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. He found himself in semi-darkness huddled into a corner of the Weasley's living room sofa, the only light emanating from the dying embers of the log fire. The mantlepiece clock showed that it was a liitle after midnight and that two hours had passed since Sirius had raised the alarm about Wormtail having made it inside the Burrow. Sirius' dark shadow stood riveted by the window, almost statue-like in its stillness, as it's owner gazed longingly out into the black garden. Remus was sitting in an armchair by the fire, apparently asleep. The entire house was bathed in an unearthly silence, as if its very walls were listening for the sounds of an intruder. 

"Has anything happened yet?" Harry whispered.

"No, 'seems quiet enough. He's probably out there skulking in the dirt under some bushes. I can't see Arabella or-"

The door opened suddenly and Mundungus Fletcher bustled into the room, a cross look on his bulbous face.

"This is ridiculous. We can't see anything! I say we let Pettigrew come to us. He has to be looking for one of _you_ three-"

"Oh, _great_ idea, Fletcher. We'll just wait for him to find Harry, shall we?"

"Sirius…" Remus warned quietly, but recollected himself at the memory of Dumbledore's instructions. "Where's Arabella? Dumbledore said you were to stay together."

"I told her I was coming in. She didn't follow. Don't look at me like that! She's old enough to look after herself; I shouldn't have to run after her like a demented 

child-"

"You idiot! Get out there now and find her before something happens!" Sirius snapped, advancing threateningly on the other man.

Mundungus glared at Sirius, but retreated submissively. He looked uncertainly at the stern expression on Remus's face and realised he would receive no support from that quarter.

"Fine." He muttered, before turning to leave. He halted momentarily with his hand on the doorknob as Sirius spoke, awed by the inherant fury in his words.

"And make sure you get the right man, this time!"

Mundungus said nothing, but left promptly, slamming the door shut behind him. Harry raised quesioning eyes to Sirius, confused at his godfather's last comment, but thought better of asking about it since Sirius' face still hadn't lost that expression of loathing and revulsion it had developed at Fletcher's arrival. Instead, Harry turned to Remus, only to be met with a forced blank expression. _There's something going on here that I haven't been told about. What did Sirius mean by 'getting the right man'?_ Harry couldn't understand what his godfather could possibly have against Mundungus Fletcher, who had, afterall, been a good friend of his father. _But then so was Wormtail…_ Remus got up slowly and walked over to Sirius. He whispered something in his ear that Harry didn't catch, but at length Sirius' features softened and he left the window to sit next to Harry.

"'Sorry about that. I've never really liked Fletcher."

"I'd never have guessed", Harry stated sarcastically, "why were you so rude to him?"

Sirius seemed uncomfortable, "'Just a personality clash, you see;we were enemies at Hogwarts, like you and Draco Malfoy. He was one of Snape's little friends at school, and I never had any time for the Slytherins. 'But unfortunately we chose the same careers as aurors, and so I was forced to work with him…That was before I went to Azkaban…I can't see that he's changed a bit, though. 'Still as conniving and selfish as he ever was-"

"Good to see that you haven't lost your Gryffindor patriotism, Padfoot, but I think you're being too harsh on him. He was a good auror, and always loyal to the Order, if not to you. ", Remus stated mildly, ignoring the indignant look on Sirius's face. "Try to ignore Padfoot, Harry, but you should bear in mind for future reference that your godfather is _definitely_ one to bear a grudge."

"'Only when I have good cause."

"Why? What happened?" Harry asked eagerly.

"He was the one who arrested me, after Wormtail blew up the street. He was the first on the scene…'Wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. It was thanks to him that I was imprisoned without a trial-"

Harry was appalled. He had expected the animosity between Sirius and Fletcher to have its origins in some silly childhood disagreement, but this was a chilling revelation. He suddenly understood his godfather's anger at having been twice betrayed, and it seemed perfectly reasonable. Indeed, even a discussion of his arrest brought an angry, wounded expression to Sirius's face. 

"He was just upset, Sirius. You know how close he was to James... I saw him that day and he was in a dreadful state of shock. I've never seen him so upset. He was determined to make you suffer for your apparent betrayal of Lily and James, and I think that, had you been in his position, you would have felt exactly the same way."

"I would never be so quick to doubt a friend."

An uncomfortable silence followed this indignant remark, broken only by the soft crackling of the dying embers and the periodic ticking of the clock. Remus, who had been standing in the centre of the room, sank back into his armchair and seemed ready to go back to sleep, when Sirius suddenly broke the silence.

"Its nearly 1 a.m. You'd better get some sleep, Harry. I'll wake you if anything happens."

Harry lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes, but no longer felt tired. His mind was too alert and stimulated by recent events. The more time he spent with Sirius, the more vivid the photograph of his parents' wedding became in his mind's eye. He was gradually beginning to understand the personalities and attitudes that had shaped the terrible events of his childhood up to the death of his parents, and the closer he came to this understanding, the less distant and hypothetical these events became. He was beginning to grasp the enormity of the injustices that had shaped his life, from the loss of his parents, to the imprisonment of his godfather, to his life with the Dursleys, the death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Voldemort. _And now Percy…It could have been so different. Why did everything go wrong?_ _No…There's no point inthinking like that._ Harry quickly banished these depressing thoughts from his head, knowing that they would only lead him in circles and make him upset. He relaxed into the suede sofa and tried to sleep, lulled by the sound of Remus' steady breathing from across the room. He soon fell into a heavy slumber.

***

Harry was strolling through the woods, listening to the peaceful gushing of a nearby stream hidden somewhere to his right. The gigantic autumnal horse chestnuts and sycamores formed an arch overhead, admitting a fine meshwork of golden light onto the leafy path. Harry walked ahead with confidence as it was a path he had often followed and he knew the way. The ground was soft and springy underfoot and he walked with a light step, happy to be returning home after so long.

Presently Harry stepped off the forest path onto a brighter, more worn-looking path. Here, a long row of blackberry bushes stretched along the length of the path, which Harry followed, plucking the occasional berry as he went. 

At length a pair of granitic towers peeped above the bushes ahead, their mica glinting dazzlingly in the afternoon sun, a familiar sight that Harry always admired on his return. Eventually an opening appeared in the hedges, through which Harry entered. Before him stretched a straight dusty path, at the end of which stood a romantic grey stone house with Georgian windows and the pair of towers he had seen earlier, one at either end of the two-storey building. He felt unnaturally drawn to the house and walked at a brisk pace towards it, admiring the well-kept, pretty borders adorning its sweeping lawn. The imposing mahogany front door came into view, with a young ivy beginning to creep charmingly up the walls on either side of it. Harry stepped forward to grasp the handle-

"What was that?"

Harry woke suddenly and reluctantly at the sound of a hushed but unmistakably tense voice. He opened his eyes to see Remus hurrying to the living room door, where he stopped and began listening intently. Sirius didn't move from his position by the window, but watched Lupin silently. Suddenly, the realisation returned to Harry of his predicament and he stiffened in his seat, straining to make out whatever sounds Lupin had heard, his dream forgotten. Unfortunately, he could distinguish nothing in the dead silence.but the sound of his own breathing. Remus stood up straight and turned from the door.

"I thought I heard something moving upstairs, but its gone now. 'Probably a ghost-"

Suddenly a loud hum emanated from the garden and a bright white flash of light filled the room. Sirius ran for the door, but Remus restrained him-

"Sirius, no! We have to stay with Harry. Arabella and Mundungus will catch him."

Sirius looked at Harry, a torn expression on his face. He desperately wanted to pursue Wormtail and help Arabella, but he knew that Harry's safety was paramount. He couldn't risk leaving him with just Moony for protection. There was another hum, and Harry became aware of the Weasleys moving about upstairs, the floorboards echoing dully beneath them. Sirius gripped Harry by the shoulder to reassure himself of his presence, while staring transfixed at the now completely black garden.

"Damn it! What's happening out there?"

The three stood in silence until Mundungus returned, a defeated look on his face, followed by Arabella, who glanced apologetically at Sirius. Dumbledore came down with a pyjama-clad Arthur Weasley. He turned immediately to Arabella.

"What did you see?"

"Just a man, standing at the end of the garden. I couldn't tell if it was Pettigrew or not as it was too dark. When he saw me coming he seemed to vanish; perhaps he transformed into the rat… Somehow he got through the defences…but, how? I put those wards up myself. They were _unbreakable_…"

"Perhaps he had help", Remus muttered under his breath.

Sirius stepped protectively in front of Arabella, glaring at Remus. Dumbledore looked at him sharply.

"Perhaps, however, I would prefer to think that that help came from Death Eaters rather than from one of our own. Nevertheless, we should all be on our guard. 

Now, I wish to know what his reasons were for coming here. Remus, go outside with Arabella and make sure the house is secure. Mundungus, will you and Arthur check the rooms and see if anything is missing? Sirius-"

Everyone turned as Ginny ran into the room, her face pale except for the red rings surrounding her eyes.

"Percy's room", she gasped breathlessly, "Everything's gone!"

***

Remus got up slowly from the damp ground, an expression of satisfaction on his tired face. Behind him, the sun was beginning to rise, illuminating the Burrow, which now seemed calm and peaceful, all tracesof the previous night's excitement having vanished. He pocketed his wand and joined Arabella on the dry stone wall at the end of the garden.

"Well, that should do it. I'm sorry if I seemed to be accusing you last night. I assure you I didn't mean to do so. You know I trust you completely…I'm just concerned that Peter might be getting help from the inside, perhaps a member of the Order, or one of the Weasleys, though that seems unlikely. "

"I know. Everything we do, the Death Eaters seem to be two steps ahead. It does seem unlikely that he would be able to enter the Burrow _and_ your house without assistance, since both were so well protected. And then there's Privet Drive...How on earth did they manage it? Dumbledore's charms aren't exactly easy to break, mine maybe, but not his. I dread to think that someone we trust is betraying us. Its just like with Lily and James, not knowing who to trust…I feel so sorry for Harry, getting caught up in all of this. This hasn't been a good year for him".

"No. I'd like to say this year was a character-building experience for him, but I think it's gone way beyond that. 'But he'll get through it as he always does. I'm sure having you and Sirius for a family will help-"

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Moony. Sirius and I aren't a family-"

"…yet."

"Oh alright, "_yet_", and there's no guarantee that we will _ever_ be a family. So much has changed. He might not want to-"

"Ha! Really, 'Bella, I thought you knew Padfoot better than that. He's dying to get some normality back into his life. I'm sure that as soon as he gets his pardon he'll propose to you all over again."

Arabella laughed sarcastically, "..and perhaps this time there'll actually be a wedding!"

"I hope so, else that big house in Devon he has his eye on will go to waste…"

"What house in Devon?"

Remus grinned conspiratorially, but refused to answer, suddenly looking thoughtful. "Don't you think its interesting, however, that we get evidence against Fudge and it is the Death Eaters who try to retrieve it? I think Percy must have gotten wind of some kind of arrangement between You-Know-Who and Cornelius Fudge."

" 'But Fudge won't even acknowledge the existence of You-Know-Who. He still claims that the Death Eaters were acting independently when they attacked Privet Drive. "

"Fudge is no fool, and I'm sure he'll do anything to hold onto power now that everyone is turning to Dumbledore for guidance."

"Hmmm, maybe you're right. I know Albus is keeping an eye on him."

"Good. It's almost morning. Lets go in-"

Arabella nodded and jumped swiftly down from the wall. Remus groaned as his feet reached the ground.

"I'm getting too old for this! I thought my marauding days were long over."

"You've always been old, Moony! Let me guess, full moon tonight?"

Remus nodded grimly. Arabella looked at him sympathetically.

"Where will you stay? I presume you haven't been taking the Wolfsbane potion with Snape away-"

"No. I'll go back to my old haunt, the shrieking shack. There's not much choice, really, since I can't go home. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Snape. He really knows how to brew a potion."

"Do you think he'll survive?"

"I don't know. Voldemort's no fool…It's very risky. 'But much as I detest him, I don't want to see him die."

Arabella nodded sadly in agreement as they entered the house. They walked into the empty living room and threw themselves down onto some chairs, falling quickly asleep.

***

It had only been a few hours since Wormtail had successfully breached the security of the Burrow and the contents of Percy's bedroom had mysteriously disappeared, but Sirius was still in a rage. He had followed Dumbledore's advice and stayed well away from his godson, who was now asleep in Ron's room, deciding to wait until he calmed down a bit until he spoke to him. He didn't want to upset Harry anymore than he already had over the last week. Instead he was sitting in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in his hand, thinking. He couldn't believe that he had come so close to catching Wormtail only to have him escape, and he didn't know if he would ever have that opportunity again. All the plans he had made on his journey to contact the old crowd had been ruined: to capture Wormtail, marry Arabella, to adopt Harry and be as good a godfather to him as James was his father…Not a single one of them had come to fruition. _Perhaps I'm expecting too much too soon, but I've waited long enough…_Sighing, Sirius glanced at the calendar. _Less thana week to Harry's birthday. 'Can't have the party at Moony's now, though…and we certainly can't have it at the Burrow under the circumstances…Well, I'll come up with something…_

_ _

_***_

_ _

Harry reached out and grasped the door-knob, smiling as the familiar scent of baked bread reached him. It was good to be home. He strolled happily into the kitchen, but it was empty. Looking around curiously he started into the living room. This was a warm, comfortable room that Harry felt instantly drawn to it as it seemed very familiar. The walls were intricately panelled with dark mahogany and upon them hung many old, scratched oil portraits of elderly witches and wizards, whom he didn't recognise. The carpets and curtains were dark maroon with a now-faded gold lion motif printed over them. The walls felt cold to the touch, which seemed strange in the stifling warmth of the room, but Harry took no further notice of it. As he turned from the wall, a large portrait hanging over the fireplace attracted his attention. It depicted an old man in maroon robes standing against a dark background. The man winked and smiled at him playfully, reminding Harry of something that just barely hovered on the edge of memory…He'd met that man before. There was something very familiar about him, but in his dream-state, Harry quickly lost his train of thought and returned to his search for the occupants of the house. Nobody seemed to be home. Harry became vaguely uneasy as this was an unexpected turn of events. 

"Hello! Is anyone home?…" he called.

There was no response. Feeling sad and bitterly disappointed, Harry left the house and began the long journey back through the woods; however, he couldn't help but feel that he had forgotten something important…

A/N: Sorry for the delay with this part but (a) I had to go and waste my time and money going to see that useless new Mel Gibson film, (b) I had to go shopping before my holiday next month and (c)ff.net's server was down all day Sunday so I didn't bother rushing to finish it. Anyway, I hope this was okay. I think I have the next few parts worked out in my head so it shouldn't take me too long to write them. Karone16 asked how long the series would be…Good question, got me thinking…Um, I think we're about halfway through now. It will probably be about 15 to 20 chapters long, depending on whether I can stop myself from making the plot more complicated. Well, we'll see. Hope that isn't too long for you, but as this ridiculously long A/N shows, I tend to waffle and write a lot of fluff…Right, I'll stop now. Next part up mid-week.

Thanks to all who reviewed:

Arabella Figg, Phoenix, someone2, Rain in Fire (Hey, you write long reviews; not related to Firecross, are you J? As sexy as Percy's undies undoubtedly are, I don't think even Wormtail would want to creep around the Burrow under them, especially considering the thoughts Percy'd been having about Penelope Clearwater while bored at the ministry!…), me, JULIE,Caitlyn (I'll have to start paying you for all these ego-expanding reviews! Now be a good girl and turn off your computer and go to class. I won't be held responsible for your failing Biology (says the girl who barely scraped a pass in biology in last years summer exams…)), Rede (similarly, I can't afford to pay you people for this, but thanks! Please keep reading, and if I do something dreadful that completely spoils my fic let me know. I'm forever asking myself how much I can get away with!),Harry's Mum Lily (Wow, I only found out today that its you writing Harry Potter and the Dark Sigil. It's seriously one of my favourite fics. You've actually taken Harry away from all the familiar characters, except Fawkes, and still made it impulsive reading. I hope part 13 is up soon…), PEZ (Yup, I hate Percy too, but how could anyone hate Voldie? He's my hero!…), LunarBard, ryuu kaze (Hooray, someone who likes cliffies! Most of my reviewers keep giving out to me for including them…) and last but not least, Adelina (thanks again, you always review…).

Pleiades


	9. Chapter IX

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the excellent J.K. Rowling.

The Secret Keeper IX

** **

Harry was awakened shortly after the first light of dawn by a seemingly elated Sirius Black strolling excitedly into his bedroom, a look of the utmost delight on his face and a glass vial in his hand.

"Morning, Harry! I've a birthday present for you!"

Harry rubbed his eyes groggily and sat up in bed, wondering what his godfather could possibly be talking about.

"'S not my birthday…"

"Okay, so I'm a week early. It doesn't matter. Here you are! No need to thank me…"

Sirius offered the glass vial to him, which Harry now saw was filled with a thick dark red liquid that didn't look even remotely appetising. In fact, it looked like blood. Seeing the look of revulsion on Harry's face, Sirius smiled softly and explained:

"Madam Pomfrey delivered it last night, but you were asleep. She's pretty sure it will cure that curse Malfoy hit you with. We'll know soon enough…"

Harry continued to peer stupidly at the vial in his hand. Health was scarcely worth the price of swallowing such a disgusting looking mixture. He could even discern what appeared to be fragments of insects floating within it. _Why is it that every potion she makes turns my stomach?_ _I know…Change the subject._

"Hey, where's Ron?"

"He's downstairs. Now stop stalling and drink it! We've a lot to do today-"

"What do you mean?"

"Drink it and I'll tell you."

Harry reluctantly took a last look at the revolting concoction and then looked vacantly into space. _Right. 'Count of three, then. One…Two…Three!_ He swiftly tipped the mixture into his throat and adopted the standard pinched expression on his face until he realised it actually didn't taste too bad afterall. _I don't believe it._

"Right. Well done. I want to see you downstairs in ten minutes, and bring your wand!"

Sirius smiled and left, leaving Harry very confused. __

"Wait, Sirius! My wand?! Why…"

"Hurry up, we don't have all day…" his godfather called as he descended the stairs.

Harry looked after him for a moment, wondering if he had indeed actually woken up. However, the sight of a shining silver prefect's badge on the bedside locker soon stimulated him into action. He hastily threw off the covers and changed into some clean robes, having forgotten to undress the day before. He grabbed his wand from its habitual position next to his pillow and ran down to the kitchen, where Hermione was waiting for him, a strained expression on her face.

"If you think I'm going to make your breakfast too, you can think again! The way some people around here are acting, you'd think I was no better than a…well, lets just say that I now have a far better understanding of the torments house elves are made to suffer. And don't give me that 'I'm so innocent' look, Harry Potter! It was your own godfather who came in here requesting two fried eggs, _soft_ mind, three sausages, preferably 'brown all over with no white bits', a big piece of black pudding, a _smaller_ piece of white pudding, baked beans, maybe some lightly fried mushrooms if there are any to be had, and two slices of toast, lightly done on both sides. Oh, and apparently the 'full English' tastes much better if its done the muggle way. Honestly…"

Harry emitted an infectious laugh that brought a grin to Hermione's normally serious face. She smiled covertly and joined him at the table, where he voraciously attacked a scone. Harry chuckled at her ridiculous attempts to look stern, the smile spreading unchallenged over her thin lips.

"'Just because I did it for Professor Lupin, Snuffles assumes I'll do it for him…And I only did it for Professor Lupinbecause he looked so sick after the full moon last night. I mean, really!…"

"It's alright, Hermione. I don't really care for fries. 'Brings back too many memories of Dudley…"

They were both giggling uncontrollably, when Ron entered the kitchen, an annoyed expression looking completely foreign on his familiar friendly countenance. Harry looked up at him anxiously and quickly stopped laughing. For a moment he was reminded of the Ron Weasley who had jealously refused to speak to him for days on end the previous year. _I hope he isn't going to start that again. I better try to be extra nice, just in case…_

"Hey, Ron!"

"They want to see you in the living room, when you've eaten."

"Who?"

"Sirius and Lupin."

"'Any idea what its all about?"

Ron just shook his head and left the room. Harry glanced at Hermione and noticed that her cheerful expression had been replaced by a look of deep concern and sadness. She continued to look at the door through which Ron had exited, but said nothing. A moment later, however, the expression vanished, almost as if it had never been there. Harry looked at her sympathetically.

"Don't worry, Herm'. He's just needs some time to grieve. It's probably best if we leave him alone for awhile."

Hermione just nodded and smiled weakly, "You'd better go in. They're waiting…" Harry quietly got up and left the kitchen. He stopped outside the living room door, listening intently as the sound of hushed voices reached his ears.

"Sirius, I really don't think Professor Dumbledore will approve of this-"

"What choice do we have, Moony? I'm sure he'll agree that this is the only way."

"'But its wrong…surely you can see that. Harry's just a child. He's too young to know how to handle this responsibly. We really should wait until Hedwig gets back with Dumbledore's answer-"

"I've already told Harry that I have something exciting to tell him. I'm not going to let him down now. Besides, Dumbledore might refuse-"

"…Exactly!"

"Moony, Harry deserves a chance to defend himself properly, and as his godfather, I don't care how irresponsible he is with it if the result is the death of Wormtail, or even You-Know-Who…. No, I'm sorry but there's really no point in arguing with me, Moony. I've decided. Now where is he…?"

_Guess that's my cue. _Harry promptly opened the door and entered the room, not caring if his entrance at this point in their conversation betrayed the fact that he had been eavesdropping. He was too excited to worry about appearances. Sirius was standing by the fire with an expectant grin on his face that seemed to make him look years younger. Remus, on the other hand, was sitting in an armchair, looking more exhausted and ill than Harry had ever seen him. His face was pale and drawn, and he seemed to barely have the energy to keep his bloodshot eyes open. He nodded to Harry by way of welcome and motioned for him to sit down.

Sirius also sat down and began to finger his wand nervously.

"Harry, do you remember what Professor Dumbledore said about that variant Cruciatus curse you were hit with, and how there was a possibility it could be adapted to make the killing curse more powerful?"

Harry gulped in surprise. _What is he leading up to?_

"Yes…why?"

"'Well, Moony and I, as well as other members of the Order of the Phoenix, have been working on this adaptation. Now, I know we haven't had much time, and that may explain why we've had absolutely no success with it, but it occurred to Moony here (though I'm sure he regrets telling me now) that you might be have more luck with it than us. You are quite adept at blocking Unforgivable curses, afterall-"

"Only the Imperius curse…you know, I can't block Avada Kedavra-"

"Yes you can, actually", Remus stated mildly, "The protections Lily placed on you can only be beaten by You-Know-Who since he was reborn with your blood, but no other wizard could possibly beat them. You cannot resist the Cruciatus Curse, of course, but you may learn to do so in time. For now, however, your skill in blocking the Unforgivable Curses may indicate a natural gift for performing them too. That's what we want to find out…"

"…Only if you're willing, Harry, and I want you to understand that I won't be offended if you don't want to do it. You know it's illegal to perform the Unforgivable curses on any other person, but I must also tell you that it is illegal to practice them if you are under eighteen years of age. It is also illegal to teach them to anyone younger than eighteen. Aside from the legal implications, you might not be comfortable with learning how to kill people, so I won't blame you in the slightest if you don't want to do this…"

"I don't know…Just 'cause I know _how_ to kill doesn't mean that I _will_ kill… I can see how it would be really useful, but what's the point in knowing how to use the curse if the very second I kill a Death Eater a dozen Ministry guards show up and throw me in Azkaban? Do they make an exception if you use it on Death Eaters?"

"Only if you can prove that the Death Eater tried to hit you with Avada Kedavra first", Remus muttered, "They generally use priori incantatem on the Death Eater's wand to verify your innocence, but this doesn't always work in your favour. If an underage wizard performs Avada Kedavra in self-defence, therefore, they may be found innocent of murder, but guilty of learning to use an unforgivable curse. It's a no-win situation, Harry, so if we teach you to use this curse, you must only perform it in extreme emergencies."

Remus yawned loudly and settled back sleepily in his chair. Harry remained quiet, trying to decide if he really wanted to know how to use the killing curse. _I'd never be helpless again, and Ron and Hermione would be much safer with me to protect them. Why not? It makes perfect sense. I'll only use it if I have to. It's not like I'm hell-bent on revenge or anything…'But what if I could adapt it to kill Voldemort. No question…I'd do it. Wormtail? Malfoy? Well, they'd deserve it…_Sirius could see that Harry was deep in thought so he turned his attention to a near-unconscious Remus Lupin.

"Why don't you go back to 'Bella's and get some sleep? You look terrible."

"I'll wait and see what Dumbledore says first. I still think we should have waited for his reply, though, Padfoot." 

Remus' words slurred slightly from exhaustion, but he was alert enough to have the decency not to criticise Sirius too much in front of Harry. In truth, he knew that Dumbledore would be furious that Sirius had gone ahead and offered to teach Harry the killing curse without receiving his consent. There had always been a general unvoiced agreement that Dumbledore should take charge over Harry's education, and while Sirius seemed to have the moral right to make such important decisions for his godson, Remus couldn't help but feel that Dumbledore was the more qualified to do so. Dumbledore knew Harry's personality better than Sirius, who seemed to simply regard his godson as a smaller version of James Potter. Sirius needed to realise that Harry was _not_ his father. He had his own personality, which had naturally arisen from his own unique upbringing. While James might have laughed at having the chance to learn the killing curse, he would never, at Harry's age, have actually considered using it. Harry on the other hand, had every reason to use it, and Remus wasn't sure that it was a good time for him to learn.

He didn't want to see Harry lose what little spark of childish innocence he had left by becoming a murderer. Somehow, it just didn't seem right.

Presently, Hermione entered the room carrying a letter. Sirius extended his hand, presuming it was for him, but she handed it to Harry, who seemed deep in thought 

and annoyed at the interruption. 

"It's for you, Harry".

***

Ron shuffled back to the living-room door and pressed his ear up against it, hoping that nobody would hear the swishing of the invisibility cloak as it brushed against the wall. _That was close. For a minute I thought she'd heard me. 'Lucky it was just a letter…for Harry, of course. I bet he'll say yes. 'Anything to make him that little bit different from everyone else…No, he has every right to want to learn Avada Kedavra, I can't deny that. 'But so do I._

_ _

_***_

_ _

All eyes turned to Harry as he unrolled the parchment, but he did not read it aloud.

Dear Harry,

I am presuming that Sirius has already suggested that he teach you to perform the killing curse, with the hope that you will soon master it and be able to adapt it, thereby increasing its intensity. I know you will be very tempted to take him up on this offer, but I must caution you. You know better than most people the guilt one feels at having taken life, intentionally or otherwise. You have never killed and it is only in ignorance that you can be assured you never will. I am not telling you what to do. This is a decision you have to make for yourself, but please consider the matter carefully before making a decision. I am at your disposal should you wish for further advice. Just remember that it is your decision to make and you must not be influenced by anyone else's desire for revenge, however much you may sympathise with them.

Albus Dumbledore.

Harry re-read Dumbledore's letter, smiling at the tactful reference to Sirius near the end. Sirius had stood up and was looking straight at Harry, his eyes pleading for information.

"It's from Dumbledore. He just wants me to consider my decision carefully."

"Is there nothing about me?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"No. Why would there be?" Harry replied archly.

"No reason. So, have you considered carefully enough yet?"

Harry didn't hesitate. 

"Yes. I'll do it."

A/N: Okay, sorry that was a bit short and rushed, but I did promise to get it up tonight. Hopefully it isn't too confusing. The next part will be up over the weekend. Anyway, thanks to all my wonderful, amazing reviewers. Please keep reviewing…Thanks to:

ryuu kaze-thank you so much for reviewing again. More about that strange dream in later chapters…

Caitlyn- you have a subtle way of making me feel obliged to get these chapters up on time. I don't know how you do it!

Harry's mum lily: Your welcome! More on Wormtail's mysterious friend later.

Julie: Thanks for reviewing. The dreams will be explained soon.

Firecross:Hey, isn't that email I sent you enough? You want more thanks? Ask my *&!£. Nah, just kidding. I'm eternally grateful for your dedication. Your ideas about Percy's underpants are a fic unto their own. 

Rede: I'm so relieved you didn't flame the last chapter. I wasn't entirely happy with it, but oh well. I'm trying, honest…Anyway, thanks for all the kind reviews. Oh, and if you like cliffhangers, wait until you see what I've got planned for the end…Haha, giving nothing away!

Gohan hugger: Now now. I don't think Sirius and Remus would celebrate Harry's death with a bud, at least not _my_ Sirius and Remus.

Mrs. Weasley: Thanks for reviewing. You're actually one of my author alerts.

Someone2: Hope this part delivers the goods…Thanks again.

Adelina: By way of thanks, I promise more Harry/Sirius interaction in later chapters (please don't take that the wrong way!).

PEZ: You're pretty much on target as usual, but not quite. The portrait is important, but I can't say how yet. As for your other questions, well I'll just say that I included a **very **subtle hint in that chapter as to where the Penna is hidden. Something about that room wasn't quite right…Haha, that should leave you guessing.

Sailorcelestial: Goodness! I guess I'll have to continue. Thanks as ever for reviewing!

Pleiades


	10. Chapter X

Disclaimer: As usual I own nothing (writing this for the tenth time is very depressingL)

# The Secret Keeper X

** **

"Yes, I'll do it."

Harry heard the words spilling out of his mouth and suddenly doubted if he had given the correct reply. His headmaster had certainly seemed reluctant for him to reach such an important decision too quickly, and Harry didn't like the idea of displeasing Dumbledore who had, afterall, never given him improper advice. He glanced tentatively at Sirius to see if there was any possibility that he could reconsider his answer without causing him too great disappointment, however his godfather had a driven, determined expression that Harry couldn't bear to deflate. It was understandable, really, that Sirius would be so desperate to see someone strike a serious blow at Voldemort, and if the glory of doing so could fall to his godson, who had afterall lost his own parents to the Dark Lord, then so much the better. 

Sirius was frantically thumbing through the text of, "Advanced Curses for Aurors", muttering continually under his breath as he flicked from one chapter to the next. Beside him, Remus had finally fallen asleep, exhausted by the previous night's full moon. Harry sat quietly, fiddling with his wand, feeling slightly self-conscious for some inexplicable reason. _Perhaps because I'm the centre of attention again. 'Good thing Ron isn't here…where is he, anyway? _Harry looked up and realised that Hermione was looking at him with a closed expression that he had long ago learned to be wary of. _No doubt she'll have plenty to say, as usual. 'Just not in front of Sirius and Remus, naturally…_

"Here it is! You should read over this, Harry. It explains the whole theory of Avada Kedavra quite well, but, of course, it can't possibly compete with the teachings of two of the best aurors the Ministry ever had, eh, Moony?"

Sirius thrust the enormous volume into Harry's arms and looked to Remus for confirmation, but his friend merely continued to breathe softly, bringing a sarcastic scowl to Sirius' face.

"Well, we don't need _him_, anyway. It's not as hard as you might think, Harry. All you have to do is point your wand at a particularly ugly death eater, concentrate on a memory or thought that makes you angry as hell, and say the words _Avada Kedavra_. That's all there is to it. Why don't you give it a try?"

Harry looked at Sirius in disbelief.

"On who?!"

"Oh", comprehension dawned on Sirius' face, "We'd better go outside and catch an insect or something. I don't particularly want to be a guinea pig."

Harry got up, gratefully dropping, "Advanced Curses for Aurors" on the armchair, and hurried after Sirius and Hermione.

***

Ron leapt back from the living room door as the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps reached his ears. He desperately rearranged the invisibility cloak to ensure that no part of him was visible. Seconds later the door burst open and Harry and Hermione marched out after Sirius in the direction of the back garden. For a moment, Ron looked after them, afraid to move lest he be heard in the otherwise completely silent hallway. Feeling alone and shunted, he scanned the room for other people, before carefully stepping into the living room, satisfied that he was quite alone. A gentle hush of breathing made him halt in midstride, but seeing that Lupin was fast asleep, Ron continued into the room. On the armchair, he found a thick crimson leather-bound book, with the words, "Advanced Curses for Aurors" inscribed in bold black lettering upon it. A page had been marked for reference. _This must be where Sirius was reading…"Avada Kedavra-the Killing Curse, first developed by Salazar Slytherin…"_

Ron felt very uncomfortable to be sneaking around behind Harry's back and under the unseeing eyes of Professor Lupin. However, this was an opportunity that he couldn't afford to ignore. The chance to learn the Killing Curse…The chance to make Percy's killer pay…the chance to share in, or perhaps even gain for himself, some of Harry's glory…Harry wouldn't mind. He didn't seem to appreciate glory very much, anyway. _Besides, it's just like Harry said. 'Just 'cause I'm learning to use the curse, doesn't mean that I actually will use it. At least this way I can choose whether or not I want to use it. _Ron was by no means sure that he would even have the courage to kill Wormtail, but at least learning to perform the Killing Curse would allow him the luxury of choice if the opportunity ever arose. It would be nice to be the one to at least catch Wormtail, if not kill him. It would be in all the newspapers and Sirius would be free and respected once again. Harry would finally have the family he deserved, nobody else would die at Wormtail's hands… In that instant grim determination set upon Ron's face and he reached the decision his conscience had been struggling with ever since Percy's death. He would stop Wormtail from ever killing another living soul. It would be an achievement worthy of his brothers, perhaps even worthy of Harry…His mind made up and afraid that it might change, Ron scooped the large book in his arms and quickly left the room. 

***

Sirius led Harry onto the lawn and turned him to face the invisible security perimeter.

"Right, Take a shot at it, Harry!"

Harry looked back at him uneasily, wondering what would happen if he destroyed the protective fence, but laughed inwardly a moment later as he realised how ludicrous he was being. As if he could destroy the fence! His wand would probably just ignore him when he said the incantation, his mind not having the power to enforce it. Surely, that was why the book was titled "_Advanced_ Curses…". How could Sirius possibly expect him to perform Avada Kedavra? He hadn't even sat his O.W.L.s yet! Sirius was eying him impatiently. _Oh, well. I might as well try it. Here goes…Okay, something that makes me angry. Gee, so many things…Alright, I'll start with Draco Malfoy-_

_ _

"Avada Kedavra!"

Nothing happened. Harry smiled gingerly at Sirius and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that it was ridiculous to try in the first place. Sirius, however, did not seem so keen for Harry to abandon the curse after just one botched attempt.

"You probably weren't concentrating enough. Try to imagine that, whatever your angry thought is, it is happening to you right now. Channel all your anger into your wand!"

Harry sighed resolutely. _Okay, here goes again…Right, Draco Malfoy in his expensive robes, sneering at Ron and calling Hermione a mudblood. I can picture him right now, the slimy little git-_ Harry concentrated as hard as he could, focusing on how much he hated Draco Malfoy. He clenched his fist tightly around his wand, which began to shake with the strain, and, with all the assertion he could muster, he bellowed the fatal incantation.

_ _

"Avada kedavra!"

Once again, nothing happened. Harry lowered his tired wand arm and looked pleadingly at Sirius, who seemed unperturbed by another failure.

"Right, try again! Maybe your thought isn't powerful enough. Why don't you try something else?…"

_Alright_, thought Harry as he closed his eyes and tried to focus, _that wasn't powerful enough. I have to think of something that makes me really furious, furious enough to kill…Cedric, of course…If I hadn't asked him to take the cup with me, he'd be alive right now, and I wouldn't have to learn how to use this awful curse. If I hadn't been so damn noble, or rather been trying to **look** so damn noble, I would never have suggested he take it with me. I was so stupid! I should have known, or sensed that something was wrong…but I was too busy showing off and 'doing the right thing' to notice. 'But Voldemort needn't have made Wormtail kill Cedric; he was no threat. How could anyone be so evil?…_Harry ignored the constriction building up in his throat as the image of Cedric, white and prone, came unbidden into his mind's eye. It formed such a strong contrast to the Cedric that Harry had known before that fateful night: a cheerful, vibrant, teenage boy, with a fine sense of sportsmanship and fair play that Harry had greatly respected. _How can he be dead?…_

Harry felt a strong impulse to perform the curse that did not arise consciously; rather, it seemed to occur to him as subtly as does the decision to open one's mouth when eating. It seemed the most natural thing in the world, to say those two fatal words that would demolish his pain. In a quiet voice, laced with unspeakable venom, the words escaped his pursed lips:

"Avada kedavra!"

As the bright green flash of light emanated from his shaking wand, Harry was stunned to notice that he felt nothing. There was no anger or thirst for revenge. The rage that had slowly been building up in his body a moment before seemed to vanish in that bright emerald pulse, leaving him drained and partly unaware. He didn't see Sirius jump in astonished delight, or Hermione back away towards the house in fright. For Harry, it was as if the moment had become frozen in time, and it took Sirius a full minute of shouting to lift the glazed look from his godson's eyes and bring his attention back to the present.

***

In a stiflingly hot torch-lit cave, Severus Snape was carefully reading from an ancient manuscript, occasionally taking notes at the relevant passages. He deeply resented helping Voldemort improve upon his new curse, but knew that it was necessary to persuade him of his innocence. He was in a large grotto, containing many Death Eaters who were also hard at work on the same project, and the heat from the fires was making it very difficult to concentrate. Lord Voldemort himself, was somewhere in the room, though Snape could not see him. However, his cold, reptilian voice echoed off the rock surfaces:

"You will owl our Friend, now Wormtail, and let him know how to proceed. Also, I want him to find out what that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore has discovered about the curse- we must- must-…"

"My lord?"

Snape became aware of the confusion filling the cavern and looked up to see a large group gathering around the Dark Lord. Severus got swiftly to his feet and hurried over to investigate the commotion. He was startled to see Lord Voldemort lying prostate on the ground, his eyes shut, seemingly against unmerciful pain. Within an instant, however, Voldemort recovered and stood up, glaring furiously at his faithful servants. One word sufficed to explain his collapse.

"Potter!"

A great distance away, Harry Potter pocketed his wand and returned to the Burrow, his head bowed and his feet dragging on the damp grass._ So, I **can** do it…_

***

When Harry returned to the bedroom he shared with Ron, he was surprised to find that his roommate was not there. _Where on earth is he? I haven't seen him since breakfast…God, I hope he isn't mad at me for something. He can be such an idiot at times! _He opened his bedside cabinet and carefully took out the Pensieve that Dumbledore had given him only a day or so before. Such a lot had happened since then, when he had thought that his life couldn't possibly get any more complicated. It wasn't enough that he had had to learn that he was the heir of Gryffindor, or that he was his mother's Secret Keeper, guarding an immensely powerful talisman (_What did he call it? A Penna?), _but since then he had had to deal with Percy's being murdered, Wormtail's breach of the Burrow's defences, and nowbeing taught to kill. It was difficult to think clearly when he had so many apparently disconnected threads running through his mind. _Dumbledore was right, sometimes there are too many thoughts to deal with all at once._

_ _

Harry settled comfortably on his bed with the Pensieve next to him. _Where will I start? Hmmm. The Penna-Dumbledore said that I know where it is…I'll think about our conversation and see what happens. _Harry raised his wand warily to his head, as it expecting green light to erupt from it. As he brought it back down to the Pensieve, he was pleased to see a long white strand attached to it. Once placed inside the liquid, the thread developed a foggy image, which quickly began to sharpen and come into focus. Amazed, Harry hunched over the glowing liquid and watched as a beautiful golden forest came into view. _What's that supposed to be? I didn't think about trees!_ Deeply confused, Harry began to wonder if perhaps there was something wrong with the Pensieve. It was only supposed to show his own memories, but Harry was certain that he had never been in a forest like that. He would remember if he had been anywhere that picturesque. The image began to shift and the trees parted to show a large stone house partly obscured by thick hedges. Harry was about to put the Pensieve away when the vision of a bright, wood-panelled room filled the dish. There was something very familiar about that room, especially the large portrait hanging over the mantelpiece, but Harry was sure he had never been in it. How could he have memories about a place he had never visited? _Damn! It must be broken. I'll ask Sirius to look at it later…_

_ _

Disappointed, Harry returned the Pensieve to his bedside cabinet and sat back on his bed. It was only two o'clock in the afternoon, but Harry didn't know how he should spend his time. He thought briefly about looking for Ron. Perhaps he hadn't been giving him enough attention, considering his brother had just died, but sadly, he sensed that Ron was finding his company annoying. It was true that Harry had been spending a lot more time with Sirius than with his best friend, but it was most unconsciously done, and mainly due to the severity of recent events. With so much happening in his life, it was difficult to find time for all his friends, however much he cared about them. It was the same with Hermione. He couldn't recall having had more than two conversations with her since her arrival on the day of the funeral, however she seemed aware of his predicament and did not take offence. Ron, on the other hand, had been decidedly cool to him since Percy's death, speaking only when entirely necessary, and saying as little as possible. _If I don't do something about this soon, it'll get out of hand…I'll see if he's downstairs._

_ _

***

Harry wandered from room to room, but found no sign of Ron. Ginny was in her room talking to Hermione, but nobody else, other than Sirius and Remus, seemed to be home. Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table writing a letter and he looked up when Harry entered. Harry asked him if he had seen Ron anywhere.

"No, actually, I haven't. He's probably visiting the grave with the others."

"'But I saw him this morning after Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left. If he _did_ go to the grave, he left later than they did."

"That must be it. How do you spell, "bosom"? Is it –om or –um?"

Harry gaped at Sirius, not sure if he had heard correctly. Sirius seemed annoyed at his expression.

"It's for Arabella, of course; Women love this kind of thing. I just wish I could be a little better at it, though. Maybe I should wake Moony. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he's really quite a lady's man-"

"Whatever you say, Sirius. It's –om. Listen, I think my Pensieve must be broken, it's acting really weird."

" "…wrap my arms around your tender bosom, -_om_…" Right. What was that Harry?"

"Nothing…"

Harry shrugged in resignation and left the room, Sirius' quill scratching ceaselessly behind him. Noticing that the living room door was open, Harry stepped quietly inside so as not to disturb Remus. Unfortunately there was no sign of Ron, and Lupin seemed to still be asleep. Harry was about to leave when he noticed something odd. _I could have sworn I left that book on the armchair. 'Guess not._ "Advanced Curses for Aurors" was on the couch next to Remus. Having nothing better to do, Harry lifted the heavy book and turned to leave, but Remus stirred and opened his eyes slowly.

"Hello, Harry. How did it go?"

"I did it! It wasn't like I thought it would be, though. I didn't really have to think about what I was doing, it was just sort of natural. It felt more instinctive than the curses we've learned at Hogwarts."

Remus looked vaguely annoyed at this statement. Harry looked questioningly at him, trying to remember if he'd said anything wrong.

"I'm sorry, Harry. It's just that I think you're too young to be using Avada Kedavra, but I'm impressed that you are powerful enough. Many older wizards have difficulty with it."

Harry smiled gratefully, "Have you seen Ron anywhere?"

"No. He's probably upstairs with Ginny-"

"No, he isn't. I checked. I can't find him anywhere. Sirius thinks he followed the others to see Percy's grave."

"Well, they'll be home soon. I've noticed that Ron seems very angry about Percy's death. You must be worried about him-"

"Yeah, I am. _Since I've barely spoken to him since the funeral and haven't a clue what state of mind he's in…_Um, do you know anything about Pensieves? Professor Dumbledore gave me one, but I think it's broken."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"When I tried to think about the P-. "

Harry stuttered as he remembered Dumbledore's advice not to speak of the Penna to anyone, no matter how trustworthy they were, and continued cautiously.

"I mean, when I tried to put a memory into it, it showed me something different. I saw a forest and then a big stone house. Then there was a room, with all the walls covered in wood…"

Harry suddenly shivered, recalling some sensation that he subconsciously associated with that room. _Maybe I **was** there, but I can't remember…_For a minute or two, Harry struggled to search for the illusive memory, but could recall nothing more. He noticed that Lupin was looking at him in an odd way, as though wanting to say something particular, but afraid of the effect his words might have.

"What did you see in the room? Did you make out any details?"

"Hmmm. There was a portrait hanging over the fire; I think it was an old wizard, but I can't remember it very well. The carpet was red and gold…No, there's nothing else."

Remus looked at him in amazement.

"Harry, that's incredible! It sounds like you're describing Godric's Hollow, but I can't see how that's possible. You were less than a year old when you lived there!"

A/N: Okay, I'm really sorry this is late. From now on I won't make any promises to get these up on time as something invariably comes up to keep me from writing. I hope this part is okay, and I swear I will do my best to get the next part up by Friday. Honest! Please everyone review, this is my tenth chapter, so why not mark this historic occasion by giving me the most reviews I will ever get in my lifetime?! Please…

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, as always. You people are the best. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them e.g. do you want a happy ending or a sad ending, should I give any characters more precedence etc. Anyway, special thanks to:

PEZ:I'm sorry, it was cruel of me to tell you there was a hint in the last part. It was there, I swear, but it's not very easy to spot. I also hinted at it in this part. I certainly hope Ron doesn't do something rash, but going by this chapter, I think he might have something up his sleeve…

Dumbledore: Thank you for reviewing, I love to get new reviewers J

SailorCelestial: Ooooh, you're paying attention! And you're right; he wasn't referring to Sirius' thirst for revenge. I'm sure you know who by now…Thanks for reviewing again, but I shouldn't thank you-you're only doing what I'm making you do!

ryuu kaze: I think this chapter explains the dreams. Thank you so much for coming back to review. I really appreciate it.

Sublimechik: Again, so sorry this took so long. I'll try to get them up quickly in future.

Amanda mancini:Sorry if I'm taking the whole Ron thing too far, but its integral to the plot. Thanks for reviewing again!

ItsKR4all:Thanks for reviewing (twice-great!). Yup, Ron's acting strangely. I think this chapter partly explains it-more on this later…

Harry's mum lily: Thank you so much for reviewing again. I'm glad you like it.

Alexa: Thanks for reviewing. Sorry this part is late.

Rede:Thanks for not flaming. Glad you're enjoying it.

Pleiades


	11. Chapter XI

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or concepts in these stories. They belong to the excellent J.K Rowling, who hopefully won't sue.

The Secret Keeper XI

** **

Sirius and Remus waited patiently in Dumbledore's comfortable office, both deep in thought and neither saying a word. A day had passed, and despite frantic searching of the countryside surrounding the Burrow, there was still no clue as to the whereabouts of Ron Weasley. Both Remus and Sirius had stayed up late into the night, combing the fields with other concerned witches and wizards, but to no avail. So far, no one had voiced the thought that had occurred to all of them: that Ron had gone off in search of Wormtail, desperate to avenge his brother's death. Instead, everyone was operating on the assumption that he had either been kidnapped, although this seemed unlikely, or that he had simply run away, so deep was his grief for Percy. It was a distressing situation for all connected with the Weasley family, especially coming so soon after the loss of another cherished son. It had, of course, been noticed, that some of Ron's possessions were missing, along with Harry Potter's infamous invisibility cloak, suggesting that his disappearance had been well planned and of his own volition. Unfortunately, however, he seemed to have left on broomstick, and therefore left no footprints that could be followed. And so Sirius and Remus had come to Dumbledore, hoping that the old wizard might have some suggestions.

The two wizards snapped out of their reverie as the headmaster entered, looking tired and strained. Dumbledore sat down slowly at his desk and simply stared into space, saying nothing for quite a while. Presently however, he acknowledged their presence with a polite smile and motioned for Remus to speak.

"We're sorry to bother you, Albus. Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all, Remus. I've just come from a meeting with Minister Fudge, and it has given me a lot to think about, but pray tell me how you are getting on. I take it there is still no sign of Mr. Weasley?"

"No, we're getting worried. He's been gone a long time, at least since yesterday morning, if Harry's correct in his reckoning. And on a broomstick…Well, he could be a hundred miles away by now."

Dumbledore quietly considered Remus' words, before turning to Sirius.

"What is Harry's opinion about Mr. Weasley's disappearance?"

"Harry? He hasn't really said anything, but I'm sure he suspects Ron has gone after Peter. Why else would he need James' cloak?"

"Why indeed. This is a very grave situation, and I don't believe Mr. Weasley would pursue Pettigrew unless he thought he had some chance of defeating him. I hope, Sirius, that you confined your lessons on the use of the Killing Curse to Harry-"

Sirius suddenly paled. That thought had not occurred to him. _Only Harry was there, I'm sure of it._ Nevertheless, the spectre of doubt hovered in his mind. _But what if he overheard? I never performed a silencing charm. Oh, god, what was I thinking?_ Noticing the confusion and disbelief crossing Sirius' pale face, Remus quickly interjected.

"Sirius, he would have found a way to learn it whether you taught Harry or not. You mustn't blame yourself. What's important now is that we find him, before he has a chance to use it, that is if he even _can_ use it. It's a difficult curse, the most difficult in fact, and I doubt he's ready for it yet. Don't worry, we'll find him before he does any damage."

Sirius merely nodded, a wounded expression on his face. He couldn't believe it. _Why didn't I listen to them? I never should have taught Harry that curse. If anything happens to him, it'll be my fault. I've got to do something…_Dumbledore seemed to be reading his mind.

"Remus is right, Sirius, we have to find him quickly. Now I suggest you leave immediately and speak to Harry or Miss Granger, as they understand Mr. Weasley better than any of us. Remus, I'd like you to stay awhile. There's a matter we need to discuss."

Sirius quickly left the office, the disappointed expression on Dumbledore's face bearing into his skull as he closed the door behind him. As he descended the spiral staircase he recalled the last time he had entered the headmaster's office. It had been after the Triwizard Tournament, when Harry had returned from his near-fatal duel with Lord Voldemort. Even then, he had been at fault, not having been there to protect his godson when it mattered most. Harry could have been killed thanks to his neglect. This time, however, it was much worse. He had not only endangered James' son, but his friend also. How could Harry ever forgive him, if anything happened to Ron? It would be more than he could bear for Harry to hate him. Sirius inwardly rebuked himself for his failures as a godfather, and as he left Hogwarts he decided he would never put himself before Harry again.  


As the large black dog trampled across the Hogwarts grounds, Albus Dumbledore turned from the window to face Lupin.

"He seems to be taking his duties as a godfather very much to heart. James chose well in selecting him for the job… Well, Remus, have you discovered anything about the evidence poor Percy was to share with us?"

"I'm afraid not, but it occurred to me that it may be worth checking his office. He spent far more time there than he ever did at home, so it's not unlikely that whatever we're looking for will be there, assuming Fudge hasn't searched it _himself_ yet."

"It's certainly worth a try, Remus. The sooner Fudge is relieved of his position, the better. Hagrid has been making excellent progress with the giants, but despite the recent increase in Death Eater activity, Fudge refuses to accept their help. He really shouldn't be in such a powerful position-"

"'But who could replace him? _You_ would have my complete support, of course, Albus, if you wanted the position."

"No, Remus, but thank you all the same. My place is here, but I'm sure I can think of several people who would be suitable. We shall see…In the meantime, perhaps you and Sirius will have a _discrete_ look in Percy's office and let me know what you find. However, try not to draw attention to yourselves or Fudge may become suspicious and decide to search the office himself. "

Remus nodded in agreement and was about to leave when something occurred to him.

"Oh, Albus, I nearly forgot. Harry told me something very strange yesterday. He said he saw Godric's Hollow in the Pensieve you gave him. How can he possibly remember it, if he was so young?"

Dumbledore looked at him sharply, "I don't know, Remus, but we may find out soon."

Remus could tell that Dumbledore knew more than he was implying, but was wise enough not to press the matter any further. He reflected, with a wry grin, on how strange it was that even as a grown man, he always felt like an unruly pupil when sitting in Dumbledore's office, no matter how polite or respectful the headmaster was. Dumbledore seemed to naturally exude authority and command obedience, so much so that Remus could not foresee a day when he would be able to look upon the older wizard as an equal. It was easy to understand why it was said that Dumbledore was the only man You-Know-Who was afraid of. 

Remus got up from his seat and was just beginning to straighten his robes when Minerva McGonagall came bursting into the room, followed closely by Filch. She seemed out of breath, but very excited about something.

"Professor, I came as quickly as I could. Severus Snape's office has been broken into"

"'Not the first time either, sir", Filch interjected, "and I can tell you who it was. Peeves-"

"Please calm down. Now Minerva, what happened exactly?"

"There was an intruder in Snape's office. Peeves reported it, so I think it highly unlikely that he had anything to do with it", McGonagall glared at Filch and continued, "However, it must have happened as recently as this morning, since the house elves cleaned it then and did not report a theft."

"Does anything seem to be missing?"

"I can't tell. It's a real mess down there, papers everywhere…"

"'Quite a mystery, then…I'd better have a look. Are you coming, Remus?"

***

Harry was crouched in the gnarled trunk of an ancient oak tree in the Weasley's back garden,with "Advanced Curses for Aurors" propped open on his lap. It was yet another bright summer's day, but he barely noticed, so intense was the dark insensibility that had engulfed him with the disappearance of his best friend. He felt vaguely hurt that Ron had decided to run away without telling him. Almost immediately, however, Harry admonished himself for having such a stupid thought. _You don't tell someone if you're going to run away. You just do it._ It still hurt, however, that for once, Ron had excluded him from his activities. Even Hermione had seemed astonished at his actions. _We never saw this coming. I wonder where he is now_

_ _

Harry shifted uncomfortably in the woody hollow, as if his fidgeting would somehow remove the despair that had settled on him. It was no use, however. He either felt angry and upset, or he felt nothing. There was no happy medium. He briefly asked himself whether it had always been like this. Had there always been some nagging threat hanging over him, preventing him from extracting any happiness from life? He knew this wasn't so. His life as a muggle had been painful, but not even the neglect and disrespect of his relatives could rival the sorrow that seemed to dominate his miserable existence as a wizard. He tried to comfort himself by remembering all the terrible unforeseen events that had led up to his present grief. _Geez, it's just been one thing after another this year. First the Triwizard Tournament, then Cedric, then Voldemort, then Privet Drive, then Arabella Figg, then Percy, and then all that rubbish about my being the heir of Gryffindor…and now Ron. Maybe this has just been a really weird year, and it'll get better from now on…_Harry hoped, rather than believed, this to be true.

As he raised his moist eyes from the blurry pages of the book, he felt the warmth cascading down through the leafy canopy above him. Once again, the image of Godric's Hollow flitted into his mind, it's beautiful stonework nestled snugly in a forest clearing. Harry allowed his imagination to drift away to the dreamy woodland of his former home. It seemed so fresh in his mind now, the image growing clearer and sharper all the time. The idyll was shattered by the pleading sobs of his mother, begging for the life of her baby. Harry saw his father fall at the entrance to the wooden room, and the intense ruby glare of the red eyes that advanced upon him and his mother. Harry shook his head slowly, trying to dispel the painful image. It seemed so much worse, now that he could see his parents' final moments, rather than simply hear them. The twin red orbs refused to dissipate however, as Harry clung on to them with a morbid fascination. _Will I really be the one to kill him?_

_ _

Harry knew, however, that if he wanted to kill Voldemort, it would take more than Avada Kedavra. _I have to get Sirius to show me how to adapt it, to make it stronger, but who knows when he'll be back? If only I could remember the words Malfoy used to make the Cruciatus Curse more powerful…Crucio solinfinitus? No, that wasn't it. Crucio solfinitum? No, not quite. Damn, what was it? Maybe if I just try the curse it'll come to me._ Harry pointed his wand at a small rosebush, and looked around to make sure that no one was watching. He carefully tried to recreate the feeling of deep fury that he had experienced before performing the curse with Sirius the day before. This time, he used the memory of his parents' death to power the incantation.

"Avada kedavra!"

It worked. There was a bright flash of green light and suddenly the rosebush was completely black and withered, it's leaves rotten. Again, Harry felt entirely numb. He got up carefully to survey the damage, not even noticing as he pricked his fingers on the sharp thorns. Without thinking, Harry pointed his wand at the next rosebush and cursed it. He continued from one plant to the next, as if in a trance, until there were none left. Only then did he realise the destruction he had caused, and for no good reason. He had killed indiscriminately, and with a cold indifference that shocked him. 

He sat down on the grass, too drained and appalled to move or think, surrounded by the dead, black rosebushes. After awhile, he became aware of his own shivering and he crept silently over to the warm oak tree to sit in its gnarled branches. He looked downward, trying not to see the devastation he had left in the garden. _No wonder people were so quick to believe I was the heir of Slytherin…I'm no better than Voldemort. Two people have died because of me, not counting my parents, and now Ron too. Why me? Am I so important?_

_ _

***

Sirius arrived back in the kitchen of the Burrow to find Mrs. Weasley comforting a distressed Ginny. She quickly nodded in the direction of the garden, and Sirius went out. _This is terrible. I've got to find him soon…_He quickly scanned the garden, but there was no sign of Harry. Thinking that Mrs. Weasley had made a mistake, he turned to go back inside, when he suddenly realised that there was something different about the garden. Indeed, the roses at the end of the lawn were completely black, as if there had been a fire or some kind of dreadful pestilence. Feeling an inexplicable sense of dread building up in his stomach, Sirius walked cautiously down to the roses. _What on earth-_ A sharp hiss of breath behind him made him draw his wand and spin around-it was only Harry, however. Sirius lowered his wand and exhaled slowly in relief.

"Oh, Harry! What on earth happened here?"

His godson was sitting at the base of an oak tree, looking pale and tired. He did not respond at once, so Sirius bent down to sit next to him. He noticed the book on the ground next to him and his wand lying discarded near the dead bushes.

"Is everything okay, Harry?"

Harry responded in a quiet voice but did not meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry-I-I- just kept cursing them-"

"_You_ did this? Why?"

Harry opened his mouth to explain but no sound emerged. He stopped to regain his composure while Sirius waited patiently, and tried again, but he knew that he couldn't speak for fear of crying in front of Sirius. He swallowed hard, feeling very uncomfortable, and suddenly wishing that he could be back in his bedroom at Privet Drive, where he would be ignored and could express his sorrow in private. Sirius seemed to understand, however, and he gripped his shoulder, while allowing him to turn away to hide his tears.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I've made a mess of things as usual. I never should have taught you that curse. I got carried away…I'm just so impatient to get my life back together, and I can't do anything until Wormtail is caught, but this is my responsibility. I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you. Dumbledore warned me, but I didn't listen-"

"This isn't your fault. I'm just, well, I can't understand why all this is happening to me. I wish I'd never been told I was a wizard."

"Harry, you can't mean that! You're a great wizard. One day you'll be as great as Dumbledore, I'm sure of it. I know you have a lot on your shoulders since we expect so much of you, being your father's son", here Sirius smiled warmly at him, "But you're more than able to rise above our expectations. You and Dumbledore are probably the only two wizards who can ever hope to defeat Voldemort. You've done it before. Our faith in you isn't misplaced, Harry".

"'But it is! I'm nothing special, really, just lucky. The only reason I'm so good at using the Unforgiveable Curses is because I have some of Voldemort's powers. Other than that, I'm pretty average…I used to just laugh at people for having all these crazy ideas about me, but its not funny anymore. First Cedric, then Percy and now Ron have died because of me-"

"Ron isn't dead, and Cedric and Percy did not die because of you. They died because of Voldemort. You're probably the only one who can protect the rest of us from him, Harry. It's a gift. We're very lucky to have you, you know…"

Harry silenced at these words. Sirius was right. He had never looked at it like that before. However difficult and dangerous his life was, he had to look at the bigger picture. People really did depend on him. There were more feelings to consider than his own. 

Sirius looked down and saw the grim acceptance dawning on Harry's face.

"Right then. Now that I've got that into your thick skull, there's work to be done. We have to find Ron as soon as possible. Where do you think he would go?"

"He'd try to find Wormtail, I think, but I don't see how he'd know where to go. I certainly wouldn't…I'd probably ask someone who _did_ know-"

"Like who?"

"Dumbledore, you, Remus…_or Snape_? That's it! I bet he's gone to Hogwarts to try to find out where Snape is-"

"Brilliant, Harry! We'd better owl Dumbledore immediately and tell him to be on the lookout. I just hope we're not too late…"

A/N: Right, only four or five more chapters to go. Hopefully I'll get them up before next Friday, as I'm going on holiday for a week (poor me!), but if not, well, I'll have to keep you in suspense, that is, if anyone it still reading this. _Is_ anyone still reading this? I've noticed a serious decline in reviews recently-only six or seven for the last chapter. They have all been positive, thankfully, but I'd love to hear from more of you. I'm getting loads of hits, and author alerts, but no reviews. It's very sad. So please, make an effort to review. If you do, I'll be more inclined to write quicker…J

Thank you very much to those of you who _did_ review, especially, Rede, PEZ and Sailorcelestial. I don't think any of you have failed me yet. I dedicate this chapter to you! As for your comments:

Rede:I'm really glad you liked it. I'll try to come up with a good ending. I have made a plan for the last five chapters, but I may alter it a little.

PEZ: Yes, poor Ron. He's definitely on the brink of doing something terrible, but I may save him yet. The idea for the connection between Voldie and Harry came to me by accident. I was so desperate to include something a little bit dark and dramatic in that chapter that I was more or less thinking "Hmm…What scary thing can I let Voldie do now?" I think it makes sense as Dumbledore himself said that Harry and Voldemort were connected by the curse that had failed. You're right about Sirius-he is going a bit overboard, but in the next few chapters he'll have a chance to prove himself as a great wizard and a dedicated godfather.

Sailorcelestial: I think Ron will be able to master Avada Kedavra, though it may take awhile. It would probably be better if he didn't, though…Harry is certainly quite adept at using the Killing Curse, but it will take something extra to kill Voldemort, I think. His skill with using it may come from the fact that some of Voldemort's powers transferred to him in his youth, hence his ability to speak Parseltongue. I mentioned in the last chapter that Avada Kedavra was first developed by Salazar Slytherin, so this may explain how he can kill at such a young age. Also, this _is_ Harry Potter, we're talking about, and he can do anything! As for Snape, I don't regard him as an evil character. He can do the right thing without being made likeable, however. I apologise if I've made him too much of a goody-two-shoes. I may include some Snape-Sirius angst in a later chapter to compensate for it.

Also thanks to:

Harry's Crush: Now now, Sirius is not a figure of fun…I've let my keyboard run away with itself! He's actually a big, scary, intimidating wizard who just happens to transform into a cute, cuddly little doggy-woggy called Snuffles every now and then. The next few chapters are going to be quite trying for him, so I'm sure he'll redeem himself and stop being so silly and frivolous. Anyway, thank you and please keep reading and reviewing!

The Inflammable Gohan Hugger: Actually I prefer a bacardi and orange, but Heinekin is good. What this has to do with my fic, I don't know!

Emma: Wow, you really sound like you like Harry Potter! Well, my life depends on him too. It's a miserable existence, I can tell you, getting in from a hard day in college and having to run to my computer and read a dozen stories…and then I have to keep writing too. Book five is too far away, but at least fanfiction keeps the characters fresh in our minds. Anyway, sorry for rambling. Please keep reading and reviewing…

CL: Okay, will do. Thanks for reviewing.

Pleiades


	12. Chapter XII

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything.

The Secret Keeper XII

As night fell on the Burrow, Harry finally agreed to go to bed, knowing that nothing could be done for Ron until Hedwig returned with Dumbledore's response. He was glad to return to his friend's orange bedroom, where he could escape Ginny's tears and reproachful glances. It was very hurtful that she blamed him for her brother's disappearance, but Harry knew that he couldn't afford to wallow in self-pity anymore. He had to concentrate on trying to save Ron, and perhaps thereby regain Ginny's respect. He wondered if the other Weasleys blamed him too. Fred and George had not spoken to him since Percy's funeral, but that may simply have been due to the fact that he hadn't seen them for more than a few minutes at a time since that terrible day. Similarly, Mr. Weasley had been spending a great deal of time at work, while Mrs. Weasley had been visiting her son's grave daily, so Harry really didn't know if they blamed him or not. 

It made Harry furious to see how the Weasley's lives had been turned upside down because of Lord Voldemort, who had absolutely no reason to feel threatened by them, who had probably never even heard of them. The Weasleys were probably the least threatening people Harry was acquainted with, and it was hard to imagine how anyone could ever want to hurt them. He felt a deep sense of gratitude toward them for everything they had done to make his years as a wizard more bearable. They had offered him a peaceful refuge from his cruel relatives, introduced him to the delightful phenomenon of birthday presents, and had been there to support him in his darker moments. They had been his family, and had always made him feel loved and welcome. They had done so much for him…_I'll repay them. Soon, I'll know how to adapt Avada Kedavra to kill Voldemort. I'll avenge Percy, and Cedric, and my parents, whatever it takes…_

_ _

There was a quiet knock at the door, and Sirius entered, carrying a piece of parchment. He seemed anxious and unsure where to begin.

"Harry, Dumbledore sent this letter. It seems you were right, he _did_ go to Hogwarts, first thing this morning it would seem-"

"This morning? 'But that was hours ago. What happened? Was he seen?"

"No, I'm afraid not. He searched Snape's office pretty thoroughly, though, and Dumbledore thinks he may have found some papers explaining exactly where Snape is. If he can find Snape, he'll find Wormtail…"

"So what are we going to do? Has Dumbledore told you to go after him?"

Sirius shifted uneasily on his feet before sitting down on the bed next to Harry.

"No, it's too dangerous, Harry. Wait! Just hear what I have to say!", he pleaded, "We're not abandoning him, Harry, but we can't do anything right away. Our forces are stretched too thin, and if we're to walk into Voldemort's headquarters we're going to need large numbers. It should only take a day or two to recall more members of the Order, and then we'll go after him. Please believe me, Harry. This is the only way…"

Harry knew that Dumbledore was right, but he hated being so helpless. Surely there was something he could do

"Sirius, you've got to show me how to improve that curse before we go! Yes, "_we_". I'm going too. I have to do something to help the Weasleys. It's the least I can do. Besides, it'll give me a chance to try out the curse on Voldemort-"

"Harry! Listen to yourself! You're not ready to duel with Voldemort. Performing the curse is all very well, but he's far stronger than you. You're too young. You have to be patient and wait a while-"

"Enough people have died, Sirius. I have to try…I'll do it with or without your help…"

"Damn it! Why do you have to be so stubborn? James was never this bad-"

"I'm not my father. Now, will you help or not?"

Sirius nodded reluctantly. _Fine Harry. You can try, but I'll be there when you do._

_ _

Harry was surprised that he had spoken so demandingly to Sirius, and he felt more than a little guilty at manipulating him so shamelessly. It was important, however, for him to take every opportunity of facing Lord Voldemort. He could understand Sirius' fears, but what Sirius didn't know was that his godson would have the added strength of the Penna Potissimus. _It holds the spirit of Godric Gryffindor, himself. I'll be ready for Voldemort. _Harry just hoped that Dumbledore was right, and that he would be able to find it. The ruins of Godric's Hollow would be a good place to start looking, considering his experience with the Pensieve…

_ _

"Thanks, Sirius. There's one more thing. I'd like to see my parents' home. Will you take me?"

Sirius was gobsmacked. This was the last thing he had expected to hear from his godson. _Why does he want to see it so suddenly? It would be far too upsetting for him…_

_ _

"Harry, there's not much to see, I'm afraid. 'Just an old, empty house. Why dig up the past?"

"I'd just like to see it. You know it's my birthday tomorrow-almost the anniversary of their death-I'd just like to know what it's like."

"Well if you're sure you want to go, I suppose we can arrange something. I won't be able to bring you tomorrow, though, as Moony and I have some marauding to do…"

"What do you mean?"

"We're going to do some creeping around at the ministry-"

"You can't go in there! What if they see you? You're bound to get caught…"

"It's alright, Harry. I wouldn't go if I thought there was any danger. Arthur has agreed to help us get in and out safely, so it'll be fine. Besides, I can always get Snuffles to help if there's any trouble."

"Oh, alright then, but I still think it's stupid to take such a risk. 'And I don't think Arabella would approve either. What are you hoping to find, anyway?"

"We're not sure. We're just hoping that Percy left some of his evidence in his office. You never know, we might get lucky…"

"Well, be careful, but about Godric's Hollow…Is there no way I can go tomorrow? I'd rather not have to wait-"

Sirius eyed his godson shrewdly, perhaps sensing his feelings of guilt and annoyance.

"Why the rush? It'll still be there in a few days time, you know…"

"I just think it would be nice to see it on my birthday, kind of special, you know?"

Sirius was unconvinced, but for fear of hurting Harry's rather sensitive feelings, he relented. _Maybe he's telling the truth. I suppose it must be hard for him on his birthday, not having them around. 'And after all he's been through lately, I really shouldn't question his sincerity. I could be wrong._ Although it seemed understandable, and even admirable, that Harry would want to mourn his parents on his birthday at the one place that they had shared together, Sirius couldn't help but feel like he was being carefully managed to suit Harry's plans. What could Harry be planning this time, however? He hadn't seen enough of Ron or Hermione to be involved in any kind of foolhardy adventure. Whatever was going on, he was in it alone. Sirius made a mental note to pay more attention to his godson's activities, before considering how he could arrange for Harry to visit the house soon.

"Well, Remus and I will be busy, and we certainly can't ask the Weasleys to bring you-"

"I could go alone…"

"No way! I'm not that dumb, Harry…What about 'Bella? Would you mind going with _her_?"

"I don't suppose so, but she might mind going with _me_. We haven't exactly made up since she slapped me…"

"I'm sure that's all "water under the bridge" by now, Harry. Besides, if she goes with _you_, I won't have to worry about her trying to follow _me_!"

"I'll tell her you said that!"

"Just try it, Harry! You're no match for old Padfoot! I'm sure I can think of at least a few things to tell Ginny about her "green-eyed hero who conquered the Dark Lord"…"

"Oh, God. I'll kill those twins." 

Sirius chuckled, while Harry quickly tried to change the subject. 

"When will Mrs. Figg be able to bring me?"

"Call her Arabella, Harry, you're making me feel like a married man! I'll ask her if tomorrow's convenient, okay?"

"Okay, thanks."

"'About your birthday, Harry…I had planned a great party, but under the circumstances I don't think it would be a good idea. I hope you're not too disappointed."

"Sirius, considering I've spent nearly all my birthdays locked up in a cupboard, I'm not likely to be disappointed, but you'd better get me a decent present!"

"…And you used to be such a humble, unassuming boy…where did I go wrong?"

They both laughed as Sirius turned and left the room.

***

The Ministry of Magic presented an imposing concrete façade overlooking the Thames near Westminster, but to the grey-clad muggles who hurried into their offices on the dot at nine o'clock, it was a deserted building site, a blot on the otherwise cosmopolitan area. Remus approached the dark building in his best, but unfortunately two sizes too large, muggle suit, pulling on a dog lead to keep his canine friend in order. Sirius really didn't approve of being pulled about on a lead and he continually waved his head from side to side trying to dispel the hated object. Remus just pulled harder on the cord, smiling apologetically at Arthur Weasley who was standing on the stone steps of the Ministry, waiting for them. Arthur nodded grimly and gave Snuffles a cautious pat on the head, before ushering them both inside, whispering, "Just act naturally…"

Arthur led them quickly across the large marble foyer and up several flights of stairs, occasionally speaking to other wizards and introducing Remus and his pet dog. They passed many different departments, but steered well clear of Fudge's office on the first floor. Finally, Sirius arrived panting on the top floor. They had not passed any people for a while now, and this seemed to be a much more isolated section of the Ministry, darker and more delapidated. Nevertheless, Arthur led them onward, turning from one corridor to the next, until they reached an old rickety wooden ladder that seemed to lead up to an attic. On the attic door was a small sign that read "Department of International Magical Cooperation: Head of Department Mr. B. CrouchMr. P. WeasleyMrs. S. Graves".

"I'll just check it's empty. Graves should be attending a conference on the International Wizard Currency today."

Mr. Weasley pushed the attic door inwards and climbed up. A moment later his head appeared in the gap and he told them to come up. Sirius quickly looked around before transforming back into his human form. He grabbed the lead out of Remus' hand and pulled it from around his neck. Remus chuckled at the ridiculous sight.

"Think it's funny, do you? You'll be laughing on the other side of your face if you're not careful-"

Remus gave him a sarcastic innocent expression and followed Arthur up the ladder. As he climbed up, something snapped one of his enormous muggle shoes from his foot. He growled, "Very mature, Padfoot…" and bent down to retrieve it. They heard Arthur's most severe, scolding voice calling down to them.

"Come on, you two. You're worse than Fred and George."

Once the three were gathered in Percy's former office, they quickly began the task of opening up the filing cabinets and searching their contents. Their were at least a dozen cabinets on the dusty uncovered floorboards, each containing six drawers full of files, on every possible subject from the standardising of cauldron thickness to a call for an international registry of werewolves.

"This could take forever…", Sirius complained.

"Well, I'd better be leaving", Arthur began, "Good luck!"

He received two annoyed grunts in response.

***

Harry looked pleadingly at his godmother.

"Is there no other way? I hate portkeys…"

"Don't be silly, Harry. It really is the safest way to travel, and we don't have time to fly. Come on, now!"

Harry reluctantly took the proffered apple and instantly felt the dreaded familiar sense of being hurled backwards by his navel. He had travelled with his eyes closed

and his wand in his hand, just in case he ended up in the wrong place like last time. Presently he felt solid earth beneath his feet, and as he opened his eyes, he beheld the forest from his dream. It was a lot greener than he remembered, filled with thriving grasses and ferns. He looked up at Arabella and was surprised to see that she had a very sad expression on her face. She turned to face him and spoke solemnly.

"It's not far, just a ten minute walk-"

"I know. Let's go!"

She looked at him quizzingly, before hurrying after him in the direction of the house. They finally reached the clearing in the trees and came onto the path, along which was a very overgrown row of hedges. Unfortunately it was too early in the summer to pluck blackberries from them, but Harry didn't mind. He walked at a brisk pace that was closely matched by Arabella, speeding up when he saw a gap approaching in the bushes ahead. He broke into a run, hurrying toward the gap and his first real view of his former home. The image from his dream was fully present in his mind of a large grey stone house with a pair of towers, a dark mahogany door and a pleasant ivy climbing next to it. He raced forward, full of expectation, ignoring Arabella's calls behind him. He turned into the long avenue up to the house, but halted in surprise at the sight that met his hungry gaze.

The stone exterior of Godric's Hollow could barely be detected beneath the mass of greenery that now covered it. It was overgrown with ivy that trailed even on the lawn before it. The saplings that had adorned its garden in Harry's dream were now fully grown sycamores, but not at all lush and healthy as in the surrounding forest. The trunks seemed twisted at an unnatural angle, and the leaves were too dark an olive green for a sycamore. Indeed, all the vegetation that seemed to thrive at Godric's Hollow now had an unhealthy warped appearance, giving the house a sinister air that made Harry quite uncomfortable as he slowly walked toward it. Arabella followed slowly behind him, remembering her own first visit to Godric's Hollow after Lily's death, and the terrifying moment of seeing the Dark Mark floating in the sky above it. She was grateful that Harry didn't have to feel that pain, but wondered why he would want to submit himself to the torture of visiting the site of his parents' murder. Ahead, she saw him nervously push the already open front door…

***

Molly Weasley looked up in surprise from an article she had been reading in the Daily Prophet as Mundungus Fletcher entered the kitchen. He looked around curiously with his intelligent dark eyes, apparently ignoring her, until she cleared her throat and gave him a stern glance.

"Hello, Molly. Where are Black and Lupin? I haven't seen them today…"

"Didn't Dumbledore tell you? They've gone to the Ministry to see if Percy left any of the evidence against Fudge there. Can I get you anything? You look dead on your feet-"

"At the Ministry?! Why wasn't I told about this? What about Arabella? Is she gone too?"

Mrs. Weasley started feeling uneasy at Fletcher's angry outburst. 

"No. She's taking Harry to see Godric's Hollow. It's his birthday today, you know…"

Fletcher looked like he was about to say something, but thought the better of it. He stood still a moment, considering.

"Where are my manners? I'm sorry for barging in like this, Molly. Has there been any sign of Tom, yet?"

"Ron. No. We're very worried-"

"Is that why Harry's gone to Godric's Hollow, then? Does he think he might be there?"

"No, he just wanted to see it. I think he probably-"

"I'd better go there at once. It might not be safe…"

"Well, I think Arabella is perfectly capable-"

"Goodbye then!"

Molly stood up in confusion, watching as Mundungus quickly ran across the lawn and removed the security perimeter to get out. She saw him vanish on the other side, not having re-established the field. Something was very wrong here…She hurried over to the table and took up a sheet of parchment and her quill. She hastily scribbled a note to her husband…

***

Harry stood uncertainly in the hallway of Godric's Hollow, surprised at how normal the inside of the house actually was. It was as if it's occupants and simply gone on an extending holiday, leaving the dust to build up on the old furniture. Looking around, Harry found it hard to believe that this could be the scene of such a terrible murder, since the house really was as his parents had left it. It did, however, have a stale, musty odour that Harry found slightly sickening. He turned as Arabella entered behind him and smiled sadly at him.

"Have you ever been here, since my parents died?"

"Yes. I usually visit every couple of weeks, just to make sure it's okay. I don't think the Death Eaters would have any reason to come here now, but I'd hate for them to desecrate it in any way."

"Are any of their things still here? I'd love to see my Dad's old broomstick…"

"No, I'm afraid not, Harry. It was too dangerous to leave things like that lying around. There were all kinds of magical objects here, which had to be protected. I think Dumbledore must have locked them away in Gringotts…"

Harry sighed and walked into the dark mahogany-panelled room. It was pretty much as he remembered it, with it's maroon carpet and curtains, and the gold lion motif printed on them, however something was quite different. The air seemed fresh and clear. There was no stale, musty smell as in the hall. Harry walked slowly over to the opposite wall, where the portrait of the old man was still hanging above the fireplace. As Harry walked closer, he was surprised to see that the man had bright green eyes that were just like his own. 

"I think that's Godric Gryffindor", Arabella's voice spoke up behind him, "Lily inherited the painting from her mother. Aren't his eyes amazing? We used to joke that Lily must be his great-great-great grand-daughter or something! She used to tease us by saying she could see more than we could. You have his eyes too…"

Harry smiled weakly and looked closely at Gryffindor. He was no longer moving, as in his dream; instead his gaze was fixed on the opposite wall. Harry turned but could see nothing of any importance, just a plain panelled wall. He walked over for a closer look, trying to appear as casual as possible.

"Where did it happen, you know, where did they die?"

"Right in here, actually. James died protecting Lily, as you know. He fell over there by the door. Lily was found here, before the fireplace, with you in her arms. It was terrible. I've never seen Hagrid so upset. He was the one who found you…"

As Arabella continued speaking, Harry ran his fingers down the wall. It felt very cool to the touch, despite the sun that was blazing through the large Georgian windows. The sensation reminded Harry of his dream. He continued to touch the wall and was amazed when suddenly he felt a slight breeze coming through the seemingly solid panel. The air was being ejected through a long thin invisible groove that ran along the length of the wall. _I have to get a closer look at this, but I can't with her watching._

"Um, Arabella? Would you mind just letting me have a few minutes alone in here?"

"Oh, of course, Harry. I understand. I'll just be outside if you need me."

Harry waited until he heard the door close behind him, before standing back from the wall and thinking hard. This had to be where the Penna was hidden. He just knew it…Harry aimed his wand at the wall and muttered, "Finite incantatem!"

At first nothing happened. Harry lowered his wand in frustration, asking himself what Hermione would do, when all of a sudden a section of the panel began to open out into the room like a door. Harry's eyes opened wide in astonishment as he looked at the secret passage ahead of him. He quickly made the decision to investigate, and raised his wand in front of him, whispering, "Lumos", as the passage was very dark. He walked a short distance down the narrow tunnel, and descended a small curving staircase, only to emerge in broad daylight in a circular clearing surrounded by tall pine trees. Harry was bitterly disappointed. _Oh great! It's just a secret passage into the garden._ _Well, I might as well walk back through the garden and have a look around…_Harry looked around for an exit, but the vegetation seemed to be completely blocking his escape. _Weird, what's the point of having them so close together?_

_ _

For a while, he walked around the circular enclosure, trying to guess it's secret, when suddenly it occurred to him. Somehow he just knew what to do. Confused at this sudden inspiration, Harry pointed his wand at the ground in the centre of the circle, and bellowed, "Fidelio!"

Immediately, the sound of phoenix song burst through the air. Harry stood transfixed, listening to the beautiful melody, when suddenly there was a blinding flash of golden light. He tried to open his eyes, but the glare was too painful. He felt his wand arm being raised up against his will, and a strange prickly sensation running up it. His hand shook uncontrollably and his wand fell out of his grasp. Harry dropped to his knees, cradling his sore arm and feeling around blindly for his wand. From behind his eyelids, he saw the light subside. Cautiously he opened his eyes. He caught a glimpse of a large red and golden bird flying away from him over the trees. His wand was lying on the ground in front of him. It seemed unharmed, but…_wasn't it a darker shade of brown before?_

Harry carefully examined his wand, but there was no sign of damage. It was just a little more golden than before. He stood up weakly, looking around and trying to figure out what had just happened to him, when suddenly a shrill female scream echoed from the passageway behind him. _Arabella…_

_ _

_ _

A/N: Okay, sorry that was a bit long. I probably should have divided it up into two chapters. Oh well…I'll have to cut down in my A/N then. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and reassured me that they are actually still reading! I really appreciate reviews, but even if you don't review, I'll still write for the sheer pleasure of doing so. Anyway, thanks to:

**The Wizened Wizard** (Don't worry, I would never turn Ron to the Dark Side. Far too cheesy, even for me! And yes, I certainly would like to make poor old Sirius a free man), **Rain in Fire** (I love your reviews. You put so much time into them, so I understand if you've been busy. I feel terrible for not reviewing your fic yet, I'm exactly the same as far as college work is concerned. Well, maybe I can write a quick review here and plug it for all my readers! "An Exercise in Cruelty" is an excellent fic that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. I love the whole tortured take on Snape, and I really like the way you have portrayed him as an unlikeable rather than evil character. This is much more realistic, and adds a certain human and less melodramatic quality to his character that I have found lacking in other Snape fics. I hope you're not killing him off. Please get another chapter up soon!)., **OrcaPotter **(I have more apologies to make to you too. I have not reviewed any of your work yet, although it looks really well-written, simply because of my lack of time. I know you've written many series, so it's difficult to start reviewing in the middle of them. Your work is on my "to read" list, however, and I hope to read all of it during my easter holidays in a fortnight. You'll hear from me then, I promise!", **Caitlyn **(Thanks for reviewing again. Sorry about all these plot twists. I think I'm finished now…), **PEZ **(You're absolutely right about there being a lot of unsaid stuff between Ron and Harry. I wasn't planning on including this but I might now. Actually, to be honest, I was going to do something horrible to Ron, but most people seem to want him to live happily ever after so I guess he and Harry will make friends near the end), **Dumbledore **(Thank you), **Amanda Mancini **(If you read the above you'll see that I've decided to save Ron just for you! I wasn't going to kill him, however. It was something much worse than that as I'm sure Sirius would testify), **ryuu kaze **(Thanks for reviewing again. Sorry if I sounded a bit demanding. I know how hard it is to find the time to review, especially since in Ireland, we're charged for every minute we spend on the internet. This damn backward country…), **Rede **(Thank you for saying such nice things about my fic. Ron and Harry will face Voldemort together, by the way…), **Nameless **(Hey thanks, I will enjoy my vacation! I'm off to Wexford, that's in the south of Ireland, but it should be good. I won't hurt Hermione, though, as I think I've tortured enough characters for one series, but hey, there's always the sequel! Kidding…), **Sailorcelestial **(You're right. I'll never finish this in five chapters. What was I thinking? Its looking more like eight or nine…Personally I think Harry will be an Auror, or, if he can kill Voldie, a professional quidditch player) and **California Love** (Thanks for reviewing. Hope part 12 doesn't disappoint.).

Pleiades


	13. Chapter XIII

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling except for the many many plots and cliffhangers of this story…

# The Secret Keeper XIII

In the cramped, dusty office of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were sitting on the floor, their shoulders hunched over the thick blanket of files spread out before them. The supply of rather innocent-looking yellow folders seemed to be endless, and even Remus, who had the patience of a saint, was beginning to doubt the merits of his idea to search Percy's office. His back was aching from the strain, the tension enhanced by his awareness of his friend's growing impatience. Sirius kept flicking the pages of his report on international school league tables as noisily as possible, apparently not even bothering to read them, and every couple of minutes he would look up at Remus, as though challenging him to complain. Remus, of course, was determined not to oblige. Finally, disappointed at the lack of response from his friend, Sirius snapped shut the third volume of, "The International Wizarding School League Tables for Year Ending 1997", and turned pleadingly to Remus.

"Please tell me you've found something. I can't take much more of this…"

"Sorry, Padfoot, but all I've discovered is that a six millimeter diameter wand holds untold advantages over a seven millimeter diameter wand, and that we English have a lot to learn on the subject of wands from the Bulgarians, who have perfected an ideal standardizing technique that will ensure-"

"Stop it, Moony! This isn't funny, although I'm sure Fudge is probably in hysterics right now. It'd take us years to go through all these files. This "you start at the start of the alphabet and I'll start at the end of the alphabet" thing isn't working. Come on, you must be able to think of something-"

"Oh? And why is that? Is it because I am so very much more clever than you? Yes, that must be it!"

"Haha. Come on, think!"

"Oh, alright. Let me see…Okay, it must have been looked at quite recently. Maybe Percy stored it with other files that he was working on before he died-"

"That's brilliant Moony! What was he working on?"

"How should I know? Maybe he had a calendar or a diary…"

Sirius got up wearily from the musty floorboards, sighing at the relief from abandoning his former cramped position. He walked over to the desk and began pushing Mrs. Graves' files onto the floor with a sweep of his hand, ignoring the reproachful glances that he could sense he was receiving from Remus without having to turn around. Presently, he came upon a small navy, leather-bound book.

"Here! This looks like a diary. Let me see…January, no, that's too early…Aha! June! Here we are: "June 2nd: lunch with John Phoenix at the Unicorn (12.00). Remember to bring report on next Quidditch World Cup". Geez, I wish I could have found that one. It'd be about the only interesting file in this entire room…"

"Hush! We have to find the files on quidditch. Right, where's Q? "

Remus and Sirius scanned the cabinets for the files labelled under Q. 

"Got it! Now what have we here? "Quality Contol", "Questions and Answers for the Minister of Magic", "Quotas on eye of newt imports"… wait, that's too far. Aha! "Quidditch World Cup". Here, you open it Moony! I can barely keep my eyes open…"

Remus opened up the folder and quickly scanned it's contents. It mostly concerned budgeting and the applications made by various nations to host the competition, but at the back, Remus found an old-looking sheet of parchment that was of a thicker texture than the others. He looked meaningfully at Sirius and held the parchment up to the light to read it. Sirius watched him carefully, and was amazed to see a look of shock come into his pale face. Remus seemed to be reading its contents over and over again, as if to assure himself that he had indeed read it correctly. At length, he put the parchment down on the desk, his hand shaking in disbelief, and stared at him in astonishment.

"What is it, Moony?"

"Its your pardon, Sirius, signed by the Minister of Magic fourteen years ago…"

***

Harry rushed out of the dark passage into the living room of Godric's Hollow, his wand ready for action. He had responded the instant he heard his godmother cry out in terror, his shock and confusion at his recent experiences outside temporarily forgotten in the excitement of the moment. No sooner had he stepped through the hidden door than it closed silently behind him, blending seemlessly into the dark grain of the mahogany-pannelled wall. The living room was exactly the way he had left it, with no sign of a struggle, and the door was still closed from Arabella's tactful exit a short time ago. Harry listened intently to the sounds of the house, but heard nothing, so he gently opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He was alarmed to see that the front door was open. Cautiously, he crept into the kitchen, his golden-streaked wand outstretched before him and his bright green eyes alert to any sudden movements in his field of view. He turned swiftly at the sound of a man's voice behind him, but swallowed the stupefying incantation that had been about to leave his lips. 

It was Mundungus Fletcher. Harry slowly lowered his wand, but did not put it away. He looked curiously at the large man standing before him and felt a strange sense of unease come over him. Harry realised that, although he hardly knew this former friend of his father, he would never be able to take to him the way he had taken to Sirius and Remus. There was such an expression of honesty in Lupin's countenance that one could not help but trust him, and, while Sirius certainly looked intimidating, he had only to open his mouth for his true gentleness to be exposed. Fletcher, on the other hand, was a mystery. He had barely spoken to Harry on the two occasions they had met, which seemed strange considering he had been such a close friend of James. _Perhaps it's just Slytherin rudeness…but how could he do that to Sirius?…Could my Dad have been wrong to befriend him?_

"Harry! Thank goodness I found you, it's not safe here.The house is surrounded by Death Eaters-"

"I know, something's happened to Arabella. I heard her scream. I can't find her anywhere. What'll we do?"

"It's alright. I found her a minute ago. She's gone back to fetch Lupin and Black."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief to hear that Sirius was coming, but something just didn't seem right. Why would Arabella leave him without explaining why, or at least without checking that he was okay? Fletcher was looking at him in a strange calculating way that made him very uncomfortable. _How did he even know we'd be here? I told Sirius not to tell anyone but Arabella and the Weasleys…_Harry's grip on his wand tightened and he looked nervously around the kitchen. Somehow he doubted Arabella was gone to fetch Sirius and Remus. She was probably in danger. _Right. Think fast…_

_ _

"I'll check to see if anyone's in the garden-"

"No, that's alright, Harry. We're safe enough here for the time being. Black, I mean, Sirius will be here soon…Tell me, what made you come here in the first place?"

"No reason. What about you?"

Fletcher was surprised at this question. Harry saw him begin to finger his wand nervously and watch him carefully.

"I was worried. Molly said you had come here, so I thought I'd better make sure you were safe. Good thing I came, really…"

"Yeah…won't it take a while for Arabella to go to the Ministry and come back? Maybe we should just go back to the Burrow now…"

"No, I don't think so. Listen, Harry, I can see you're very clever. You've seen right through me, so I'll be honest with you. Dumbledore told me you'd be here. That's why I came. I know why you're here. Dumbledore explained everything to me…He asked me to help you find it-"

"I don't know what you mean", Harry stated carefully. _Dumbledore told him? He's lying…I have to get out of here…_

"Oh, come now! Of course you do. We have to find it quickly, especially with the house under attack. They're looking for it too, Harry. Now, think! Where would Lily have kept it?"

"I really just came to see where my parents lived. I'm not looking for anything-"

"Enough! I'm talking about the Penna Potissimus, and you know it! Lily Potter made you her Secret Keeper, and it's somewhere in this house. Now, tell me where it is! Surely, you don't want the Death Eaters to get their hands on it. They'd take it straight to the Dark Lord…"

"You're lying! Dumbledore would never have told you about the Penna. Where's Arabella?"

There was a stifled groan from behind the kitchen counter. As Fletcher instinctively turned, Harry took quick advantage of the distraction and was just thinking of the correct hex to use, when thick cords flew out of his wand, binding his opponent from the neck down. Fletcher fell face first onto the stone floor, a stunned expression on his face, and his wand rolled away. Harry looked at his own wand in astonishment, surprised at how quickly it had reacted. He hadn't even had time to say the incantation! He made a mental note to examine it more closely later, and swiftly ran behind the counter, where he found Arabella sprawled on the floor, only beginning to come around. 

"Harry? Are you alright? It was Mundungus! He attacked me…"

Harry helped his godmother to her feet, and they walked around to Fletcher. Arabella stood over him with a mixture of shock, sadness and anger dawning on her usually collected features, reminding Harry of the look on Professor McGonagall's face after the Third Task when she had thought Alastor Moody had betrayed them all. Harry could tell what she was thinking. _Sirius…_

"It was you, wasn't it? You killed Percy, and you would have killed Remus…You let Wormtail into the Burrow…I should have known! All those years ago…arresting Sirius, putting him into Azkaban without a trial, telling me it was for the best when we all knew it couldn't be true. You were a Death Eater all along! How could you do this to us, to me, to Sirius, to James' son, Mundungus?-"

Harry felt a wave of sympathy wash over him as he saw tears appearing in Arabella's eyes. 

"You're a fool if you think this was personal. Can you not see the bigger picture? The Dark Lord has the power to create a new age of wizards, pure, untainted wizards. That is how it should be… everything I did was for the best. He will succeed, with or without the Penna. You will not stop him, Potter. Look out the window! You'll see that I've summoned some help…"

Harry ran to the window, but didn't see anything until he looked up at the sky. There, the dark mark hung ominously, casting a deep green shadow over the lawn.

"They'll be here soon", Fletcher continued, "You won't escape the Dark Lord…"

"Come on, Harry! We have to leave…", Arabella yelled, pulling him after her.

***

"It's your pardon, Sirius, signed by the Minister of Magic fourteen years ago…"

Sirius felt as if the bottom had just dropped out of the world. For a moment he stood still, uncomprehending, until finally he looked back up at Remus with disbelieving eyes. It required great effort to speak, and his voice sounded thin and empty in his ears.

"What do you mean?"

Remus took a step toward him and reached out to pat his shoulder comfortingly, but Sirius brushed him off, demanding to know the meaning behind his friend's revelation. Remus held the parchment out before him and began to read it aloud, watching Sirius carefully for his reaction.

_"This is to certify that the accused, Mr. Sirius Black, is hereby formally acquitted of the charges of murder and Death Eater activity, owing to irrefutable evidence of his innocence. The accused will be released fortwith from Ministry of Magic custody and returned to wizarding society as a free citizen. Signed: Cornelius Fudge, Minster of Magic, Order of Merlin 1st class, International Confed. Of Wizards, July 2nd 1986."_

_ _

"'But, then why…" Sirius began, his mind struggling to make sense of what he had just heard. He had so many questions, he didn't know where to start. Remus led him unresisting over to a chair and stood looking down at him for a moment, before speaking.

"I don't understand it either, Padfoot. Look, why don't you go home and get some rest?I'll take this to Dumbledore and see what he says…There's probably some perfectly logical explanation-"

"I have an explanation, Remus!" Sirius spat out bitterly, "Evidence was found proving my innocence and Fudge concealed it. Twelve years in Azkaban, for nothing!…"

"We don't know that, Padfoot", Remus spoke gently, "There's no point in speculating. This could just have been a convention used by the Ministry, that they'd make two verdicts and then just use the correct one after the trial, or maybe it was-"

Remus never got to finish his sentence, as the attic door suddenly popped open and Arthur Weasley climbed into the room.

"I just got a strange letter from Molly. She said Mundungus Fletcher was looking for you two, that he was furious he hadn't been told you were coming here, and that he then went to Godric's Hollow to check on Harry. She said he was acting very strangely, made her quite uncomfortable, in fact…".

Arthur became aware of the strained expression on Sirius' and Remus faces.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, "Did you find anything incriminating?"__

"Everything's fine, Arthur, thanks to Percy. I think I'll go deliver some good news to my godson… and show Mundungus Fletcher what an innocent man looks like!"

"Sirius, hadn't you better wait awhile? This might not be what you think it is…"

"Relax, Moony. By tomorrow there'll be a new Minister of Magic…"

"Sirius, wait! You can't just walk out of the building…"

"Why not? I'm a free man, Moony!"

"Sirius!"

Sirius dashed out of the office, followed swiftly by Remus. At the base of the ladder he directed a contrite glance at Remus before transforming and bounding down the corridor, leaving his breathless friend to kick the ladder in frustration. Arthur looked down at him, a confused expression on his face.

"Damn! Why does he never listen to me?…Arthur, I have to take this to Dumbledore at once", he said stuffing Sirius' pardon into his pocket, "Would you mind putting a tidying charm on the office for me?"

***

"Come on, Harry! We have to leave…", Arabella yelled, pulling him after her.

Harry tore his gaze from the dark mark hovering above his parents' house, jumped over Mundungus Fletcher, who was still tightly bound in thick ropes, and made his way to the front door with Arabella. The heavy oak door was already wide open, and through it they could see a throng of dark-robed wizards walking up the driveway toward the house.

"We can't get out this way… Alright, Harry, don't worry…We'll barricade ourselves in the upstairs study. It has only one entrance, so we should be able to hold it together-"

"I know another way out…"

"No, we can't go out the back, Harry. There are more of them out there-"

"No, that's not what I mean! There's a secret passage through the living room that I found earlier."

Arabella looked at him doubtfully, but offered no objection. Harry led her into the room and aimed his wand carefully at the mahogany panelling.

"What happened to your wand, Harry? It looks _gold_…"

"Oh, long story…Finite incantatem!"

Harry smiled at the look of amazement on his godmother's face as the panel opened up before them. She turned to look at him in wonder.

"That's amazing, Harry! How did you find this? _I_ didn't even know about it…"

"Just by accident, I guess. There's no way out of here, but we can hide until they go."

Arabella followed Harry into the dark tunnel and performed a closing spell on the door. As complete blackness engulfed the passageway, she sat wearily on the ground next to her godson. _Sirius, where are you?_

_ _

_***_

_ _

As Padfoot leapt out of the trees surrounding Godric's Hollow, he halted at the image of the Dark Mark floating ominously above the house, a terrible feeling of déja vu rising in his gut. Howling softly, he raced onward, oblivious to the Death Eaters who were stealthily approaching the house behind him. The posterior of the house, with it's painfully familiar net-curtained kitchen window, came into sharper focus, and on he ran, over the hard, dark lawn, as fast as he could, ignoring the stabbing pains now assailing his tired canine body. He just had to get to Harry…

He could remember thinking along the same lines on that terrible morning fourteen years ago. It had been just like this: sunny, quiet, with the smell of rotting vegetation in the air. Of course, back then there had been no need for him to appoach the house as a dog. Snuffles had just been a party trick he reserved for his night-time excursions with Moony, Wormtail and Prongs. Little had he known then how important his powers as an Animagus would prove to be, that they would even save his life one day. He could remember running down the sloping lawn, crying despairingly as he did so, and making his way over to the giant standing in the doorway with Harry in his arms, tiny and ignorant of his loss. He had known long before he reached the house that James and Lily were dead, but seeing little Harry alive in Rubeus Hagrid's arms had come as a great surprise. It might have given him hope, had he not met with Wormtail on a muggle street soon after…

The dog quickly transformed at the kitchen door, which he opened with a determined, "Alohomora!" and Sirius entered the kitchen, stopping dead at the sight of Mundungus Fletcher tied up on the floor. Mundungus looked at him scornfully and wriggled helplessly to try and escape his bonds.

"Well? Are you going to stand there goggling or are you going to untie me?"

"What happened? Where's Harry?"

"They took him, Arabella too …weren't all that bothered with me, though. Now untie me, Black, so we can find them. Maybe they didn't get too far…"

"Finite incatatem! Come on, then! Which way did they go?"

Mundungus got up carefully from the floor and retrieved his wand. He pointed in the direction behind Sirius.

"That way-"

As Sirius turned to leave, something inside him made him stop and reach for his wand, but it was too late. He heard Mundungus scream out the incantation behind his back, and knew that he had failed Harry for the last time. He was engulfed in a flash of bright light. Then there was darkness…

***

Harry leapt up in the darkness, making his godmother jump in surprise.

"Sirius! Did you hear that? It sounded like his voice…"

"Yes, I heard it, but wait Harry! It might be a trick-"

"'But if it _is_ him, he's in danger. There are Death Eaters everywhere and he doesn't know about this passage. We have to help him!."

"Oh, alright Harry, but stay behind me…"

Harry slowly followed Arabella toward the kitchen. She opened the door, emitted a tiny squeal of fright, and ran to Sirius' body, which lay unmoving on the cold stone tiles. Harry threw himself down on the floor beside his godfather and shook him frantically, calling out his name at the top of his lungs. _Oh, God. He can't be dead, not now…Sirius! _He could hear Arabella weeping bitterly beside him and realised that his own face was wet with tears and that his hands were shaking badly. _Sirius, please…_He felt Arabella put her arms around him, whispering to him that they had to go back and hide, that there was nothing they could do, but Harry was not about to give up so quickly. With shaking hands, he checked Sirius' neck for a pulse and exhaled in relief.

"He's alive! Sirius, wake up!"

Arabella bent over Sirius and pointed her wand at him, calling out in an unsteady voice, "Enervate!"

He stirred and his eyes fell on Harry.

"Harry! Thank God, I feared the worst-" 

He was cut off by Arabella, grabbing him into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Sirius! We thought you were dead…"

"Me? Never…well, actually, I thought I was dead too, but I think he just stunned me, though. It was Mundungus Fletcher, 'Bella! I'm surprised he didn't kill me when he had the chance. I knew he wasn't to be trusted…Come on! We have to get out of here-"

"We can hide in the living room", Arabella explained as she helped him to his feet.

Harry ran to the living room door, followed closely by his godparents, but opened it to find himself looking down the business end of Lucius Malfoy's wand.

"Well, well, Potter…I see you survived my little curse. Stupefy!"

There were three muffled thumps as Harry and his godparents fell unconscious on the floor.

***

Ron's hands shivered with the cold as they gripped the icy handle of his broomstick. They seemed to have become permanently welded to it, and it required a supreme effort for him to free one long enough to pull Harry's invisibility cloak tighter around his shoulders against the chill. It seemed like he had been flying for days, and he was beginning to despair of the cold and the pain in his backside, but was certain there wasn't much farther to travel. Inside his robes was a map that he had found in Snape's office, showing him exactly where he needed to go. Over the last couple of hours, however, a red letter X had appeared on the map, getting steadily closer to the small orange dot labelled, "Ron Weasley". The landscape beneath him had changed also, with fewer and fewer muggle buildings and more open country and forest. He suspected he was somewhere over Scotland, but his geographic knowledge was sketchy at best, so he had long given up trying to work out his location. 

Now that he was approaching the end of his journey, however, he found himself becoming increasingly sorry for Harry's absence. He tried telling himself that this was his own problem and that it didn't involve Harry in the slightest, but he still missed having him along. Somehow, things that would really frighten him or Harry if they were on their own, did not seem so bad when they were together. _I guess we just egg each other on. We're pretty stupid really…probably get ourselves killed one of these days! _Facing Wormtail alone just didn't feel right, however…_No! I have to do this for Percy. _Once again, Ron fought to ignore the nagging little voice that had been telling him to stop being a fool and go home, sounding a lot like Hermione, as he reminded himself with a wry grin. Presently the image of Hermione in her beautiful blue ballgown and with long sleek hair entered his mind, reminding him of all he had left behind. He suddenly felt guilty for having abandoned her, and Harry. _It's not too late to go back…_

_ _

Sighing, Ron swooped down to land on a large limestone outcrop, telling himself that this was the last time he would stop to ask himself if he was doing the right thing. It was bliss to move his aching limbs off the unsympathising broomstick, and as he walked back and forth in the fading sunlight, he took out Snape's map to see how much farther he had to go. A chill ran down his spine as he realised that he was practically there, perhaps only five minutes away. _I've come so far…I'm not going back now. Well, maybe I'll go back if I can't do the curse…_

Ron took out his wand and pointed it at a large rocky mound. _Alright, think of something terrible…Geez, I don't know. What did Harry think about? 'Probably his Mum and Dad. I haven't a clue what that must feel like. Nothing that bad has ever happened to me. Maybe I'll try Draco Malfoy, the rich little git…_

_ _

__"Avada kedavra!"

Ron opened his eyes and realised that the spell had failed, as it had for Harry. _Wow! Maybe I don't hate Malfoy, afterall! Alright, one more try, and then I'm going home. Something worse than Malfoy…hmmmm. It's not easy. Percy, then…_

_ _

"Avada ked-"

"Well, well, if it isn't the penniless weasel! Where's Potty, today? Crying over his parents' graves, I suppose…"

Ron whipped around in surprise at the sound of Draco Malfoy's drawling voice. Malfoy was walking casually towards him, dressed in his habitual black and with his wand outstretched.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

"Shame you don't have the little mudblood with you. I'm sure she could enlighten you. Let me put it like this: Expelliarmis!"

Ron's wand flew through the air and Malfoy caught it deftly, a smug, triumphant expression on his pale face. _I take it back. I **do** hate him…_

A/N: Here comes the good news! My holiday, that I was soooo looking forward to, has had to be cancelled because of this f*%$ing Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, so I'll be able to keep writing without a week's break. I'm really annoyed, much as I enjoy writing, but I was really excited about my holiday. This Foot and Mouth thing is enough to make me turn vegetarian…Oh well, enough complaining. Special thanks to the people who reviewed, and there were **loads** of you! That's really encouraging, and I'm eternally grateful. And now, as ever, I will respond to your criticisms, comments, insults etc…

**PixyChick:** Thank you very much. I try to make this interesting. And yes, it should be obvious from this chapter that Mundungus is one evil dude! You'll find out later exactly how he ruined Sirius' life and why James Potter was friends with him in the first place.

**The Inflammable Gohan Hugger:** I really don't know what to make of your comments! Sorry…

**Harry's mum lily**: Hurray! There was another chapter of The Dark Sigil this week. I'll review tonight.

**OrcaPotter:** You were right. It was time I showed where Ron was. He'll play a bigger part from now on.

**PEZ:** As ever, I leave more questions than answers, but all will be explained before the end. Honest!

**Steffi Silberstreif:** That's a good point about the brotherhood of Harry's and Voldemort's wand. The cores still come from Fawkes, but since Harry now has the primal feather, his wand is bound to be more powerful. This may give him an edge if they enter a duelling showdown. Of course, that's assuming Harry will still have his wand by the end…

**Rede:** As you can see, I've laid the foundations for Ron to meet up with Harry. This chapter was a little boring, I know, but we're coming to the exciting part now. I'm glad you enjoyed the exchange between Sirius and Remus, as they're my favourite characters. I hope to write some short fics about them later.

**Dumbledore**: Yes, I think it makes sense for Ron to start coming out of Harry's shadow. He may not be the Boy-Who-Lived, but neither is he a squib. I agree about Hermione. I don't particularly dislike her character, but I felt that this fic was complicated enough without including her in it. Harry will need to learn the adaptation to Avada kedavra before he faces Voldemort. That should happen in the next chapter. As for other new curses…well, that's a great idea. I'll certainly consider it.

**The Wizened Wizard**: I love long chapters too, so I'll try to stay above the 50kb mark in future. I'm just glad people aren't scared off by such lengthy stories.

**Sailorcelestial:** Sorry if the ending in the last chapter wasn't clear, but I was trying to express Harry's confusion by not explaining it. I know, it's terrible. I've made at least five different plans since I started this series and had to change them all, following criticisms and suggestions. These changes were all for the best, but it really does make it impossible to work out how long it will be. I'll certainly think long and hard before I start a sequel. I want to know exactly what it'll be about before I write it, but rest assured, Hermione **will** be tortured!

**Amanda Mancini**: Yes, I'm getting these out quickly. I hope they don't lack in quality as a result, however. I know I could write better if I mulled over each chapter for weeks, but where would be the fun in that? We'll see Harry's new improved wand in action soon.

someone2: I know. Cliffies are great fun to write but agonising to read if you don't know whats going to happen. Aren't I the lucky one!

**Coqui:** I'll have to post on the message board more often! Whenever I'm trying to discover new fics I click on the display 1-50 thing and pick a number at random, so I might read the 9320th fic, for example. But I'll try your method in future. That's so funny, pasting my fic into your homework to read it in secret, lol. When I read your review, I was on the bus going to college and I couldn't stop laughing. People were giving me some very strange looks, I can't imagine why! Anyway, I'm really glad you're enjoying it, and that you reviewed. Thanks!

**Nagh**: Thank you for reviewing, please read on!

**Nameless:** It's like this: I made several plans as I went along and ended up abandoning them according to people's comments, so I'm pretty much making it up as I go along. I just hope it isn't too obvious. The cliffies are the clearest proof of this. Whenever I don't know what direction the fic is about to take, I do something crazy, like kill Percy, and then I have to think up a reason to justify it in the next chapter. So far, it seems to be working! I have a vague idea of where I'm heading, however. It's just important to keep on top of the plot and tie up all the loose ends in a believable way. I wouldn't recommend this method, however. In future, I'll make a really good plan for all my fics, and stick to it.

**Caitlyn:** Nah, don't worry. I won't kill Arabella, or Harry, or Sirius, or Ron…I would really like to see poor old Sirius to live happily ever after once this series ends, at least for awhile. I want to have a happy ending, so everyone can stop feeling guilty, and grieving etc.

**Lilly Potter:** Spelling mistakes?! Moi? I don't believe you! I check every chapter with the Word spell-checker. If anything is spelt incorrectly, blame Bill Gates! In fact, just blame him anyway. He has far too much money…It may just be the difference between U.S. and U.K. English that is leading to confusion. And hey! Shouldn't Lilly have only two "l"s ? *grins* Ah! I'm sorry for being so hard on you since you were good enough to review. I'm just a bit sensitive about this sort of thing L. Heehee. Just kidding. I'll try harder in future…

Pleiades


	14. Chapter XIV

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts belong to J.K. Rowling. Please don't borrow from this story without permission.

# The Secret Keeper XIV

** **

The stark deafening cry of gulls and guillemots echoed off the steep cliff-face, almost drowning out the sound of the towering waves crashing ruthlessly against the rocky island. High above the wind-swept cliffs resided the impenetrable fortress of Azkaban, it's smooth black walls encrusted with salt spray. As Ron approached the imposing façade he considered simply dropping off his broomstick and taking his chances in the turbulent waters below, but he could sense Draco Malfoy's wand aimed constantly at his back and knew that there was no hope of escape. Malfoy flew close behind him, occasionally sweeping up beside him to direct his broomstick. As his captor's robes whipped in the wind, Ron couldn't help but notice the Dark Mark branded upon his white arm. Ron swallowed nervously, realising to his surprise that, much as he detested Malfoy, he had never expected him to sink to such a low as this. Surely Dumbledore would never have admitted a student who he felt was in danger of turning to the Dark side. However, as Ron reluctantly reminded himself, Dumbledore had been wrong before.

Up until now, Ron had always regarded Malfoy more as a snob and a bully than an evil dark wizard, an attention-seeker whose bite was far worse than his bark. The realisation that he was now a Death Eater was extremely disturbing and Ron was terrified by the fact that he really didn't know just how evil Malfoy could be. _He won't actually kill me, surely…_

_ _

Ron slowly became aware of a terrible coldness creeping over his body as Malfoy directed him over the enormous walls and into a concrete courtyard behind them. _Dementors._ His thoughts strayed suddenly to Harry, and he wondered where he could be. Perhaps he was looking for him. That would certainly be a Harry kind of thing to do, stupid and reckless, but brave. His optimism soon vanished, however, with the reminder that he was in Azkaban. As if Harry could rescue him there! As if Harry would even knew where it was! Ron knew it was pointless to hope to be saved. He had gone too far this time. There would be no Dumbledore, no Harry, no Professor Lupin to come rushing to his aid now. 

The two broomsticks descended to land in the grey courtyard. Looking upward, Ron could see that the charcoal prison walls were in fact studded with small square windows, bounded with metal bars. He tried not to panic as Malfoy pulled him from his broom and pushed him between a pair of Death Eaters. He was determined not to give Malfoy the satisfaction of seeing him lose his nerves. Defiantly, he tore himself from the harsh grip of the two Death Eaters and walked onward, down the dark stone corridor, trying to blot out the screams emanating from the line of cells on either side. A sense of complete unreality seemed to have engulfed him, and as he lost his footing in a hidden groove in the floor, he didn't notice the strained expression directed at him by the wizard to his left, nor did he notice that the hand that steadied him had a strange silvery translucence about it.

***

Harry's bed was unbearably cold. No matter how he tossed and turned on the hard mattress, the blankets refused to let any heat into his frozen body. Aunt Petunia must have turned off his radiator again, he thought bitterly as he uttered a quiet groan. The sound seemed surprisingly loud to his ears and it unfortunately attracted the attention of Dudley, who immediately proceeded to pull at his pyjamas and shake him rudely. _No. Go away! It's too cold…_He waved his arms wildly to fend off the unwelcome disturbance and turned over, ready to go back to sleep. There was no way he was getting up to turn on the heating. It was too cold… As he drifted off to sleep he could hear his aunt's annoyed voice calling him to get up…_Ignore it, too cold…_

_ _

Before long, Harry fell back into a troubled and uncomfortable sleep, struggling to push away the hands that tried to rouse him. His mother was screaming. She needed his help. Was there nothing he could do?

_ _

_"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"_

_"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside now…"_

_"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead…Please…have mercy…have mercy…"_

_ _

_Voldemort! _

_ _

With a sharp intake of breath, Harry started up from his sleep and gazed around in confusion. The first things his tired mind registered were the piercing cold and the dreadful feeling of exhaustion that seemed to permeate his bones, an achingly familiar sensation. _Dementors? God, where am I? _It didn't take him long to realise that this wasn't Privet Drive and that the woman who had been shaking him incessantly was not his Aunt Petunia. He was lying in straw covered with Arabella's light cloak in a dark cell measuring little more than ten feet across. He checked the dirty straw to see if his wand was concealed within it, but, not surprisingly, it had been taken. A small amount of light filtered in through a tiny square window high up on the opposite wall, but apart from that, the only light in the room came from a small orange glow at the base of the metal door. 

Arabella had leapt back at his sudden awakening and was now looking at him with anxious eyes. As his memory returned, Harry frantically searched for Sirius, his gaze finally resting on a black form huddled pitifully in the corner. Harry instantly leapt to his feet, shuddering at the strange weak sensation in his legs that the dementors inflicted upon him, and hurried over to his godfather, who seemed to be sleeping. Instinctively, he reached out to wake him up, only to feel his godmother restraining his hand.

"No, Harry, he's better off asleep. Just leave him be."

"Where are we? I can sense dementors here…"

"Yes, I can feel them too. I think we're in Azkaban, so it's best not to wake him."

"Azkaban? Why on earth…"

"It looks like the dementors have decided where their loyalties lie. Dumbledore was afraid of this happening…"

"They've joined Voldemort? This is awful… We have to get out!"

"There's no way out, Harry. Sirius is the only Animagus and I still don't think he'd be able to escape. Wormtail knows about Padfoot, so they'll be ready for him. Besides, you can see the effect the dementors have on him…He's in no condition to get us out of here."

Harry looked at his godfather and had to agree. He looked terrible, worse than Harry had ever seen him, even more pitiable than in his starved appearance at their encounter in the Shrieking Shack a year ago. His gaunt face was coated in sweat and tears, with his damp hair plastered across it, and he was huddled tightly in a ball, squeezed as far into the corner at the greatest distance from the dementors as possible. Harry quickly looked away, ashamed at his unfair advantage in seeing his normally strong and courageous godfather in such a pathetic state. Harry fully understood what he must be going through, having had his own traumatic experiences of dementors, but he knew that for Sirius it would be much worse for he had horrors in his past that were far greater than Harry's, or at least so Harry believed. He had lost two of his closest friends, friends that might have lived but for his own inadvertent blunder, and to make matters worse, had been betrayed by two other friends, imprisoned for twelve years and separated from the woman he loved and the child he was to rear. He had seen his entire reputation as an honourable man, a reputation that had evolved mainly through his association with James Potter, be replaced in the media by the image of an insane, untrustworthy Death Eater, which must have been agony for a man of such great integrity as Sirius. It was unsurprising, therefore, that his defences had been worn down, abandoned as he was with nothing but his most painful memories.

The light from the window was beginning to fade, and as Harry became more aware of the silence around him, so despair began to take hold in his mind. He sat down miserably on the straw near Arabella and immediately started to shiver with the chill. Deciding it would be ungentlemanly for him to keep her cloak, he returned it uncertainly to Arabella, blushing at his awkwardness. He never really knew how to act around the girls at school, expecting them to laugh at him for being chivalrous or old-fashioned. The Yule Ball had been a ridiculous affair, and he had ended up with Ron as his date for most of the evening. An unlikely smile began to form on Harry's parched lips as he remembered the look on Ron's face when Hermione had appeared, in a dazzling blue gown, with Viktor Krum at her side. _Poor Ron. I hope he's okay…_In an attempt to dispel his fears, he tried to recall the image of Hermione, descending the steps into the hallway of Hogwarts, so beautiful with her hair sparkling, but was shocked as the memory refused to surface. He knew it had to be in his mind somewhere, but it was if it had somehow been locked away from his control. Unexpectedly, the calm but pained voice of Remus Lupin came into his ears, _"Get too near a dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory, will be sucked out of you. If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself-soulless and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life…"_

_ _

"Why don't they just kill us and get it over with?" he asked bitterly.

"No doubt You-Know-Who has some unfinished business with you, Harry. As for Sirius and I, well…"

"He won't kill you", Harry stated evenly, surprised at his own conviction, "unless I refuse to give him what he wants."

"What do you mean? Do you have something he wants?"

"No, at least not anymore. I have to get my wand back!"

"You're being very cryptic, Harry! What are you talking about?"

Harry looked at Arabella uncertainly, remembering Dumbledore's advice not to speak of the Penna to anyone, no matter how trustworthy, however, he couldn't see any point in keeping it to himself if he was probably going to die anyway. Besides, it might cheer Arabella up to be told that her jokes about Lily being related to Godric Gryffindor were not so ridiculous afterall. _I might as well tell her, but I'll have to tell Sirius too…_

_ _

"I want to tell you and Sirius together. Can I wake him?"

"Is it really important, Harry?"

Harry nodded in affirmation and, before waiting for permission, hurried over and began to shake Sirius awake and call his name. He was surprised to see that he was already awake, but his glazed eyes remained fixed on the glow of light emanating from underneath the door of the cell. He did not look up as Harry called him, but quietly whispered his godson's name, as though uncertain if he were really there. _Come on, Sirius, snap out of it!_

_ _

"Sirius, its me. Come on, you have to get up!

At first Sirius only responded by shaking his head and closing his eyes, trying to shut out the grim reality. Harry was about to give up and turn away, when suddenly, Sirius' eyes fluttered open and he sat bolt upright, grabbing Harry by the scruff of the neck.

"Harry! You're not supposed to be here! He's at Hogwarts…Wormtail…Pettigrew… He's at Hogwarts…"

Harry struggled to free himself from his godfather's tight grip, trying to avoid the alarmed gleam in his crazed eyes. Evidently, Sirius was remembering the year before, when he had realised that Wormtail was masquerading as Ron's pet rat Scabbers.

"No, that was last year, remember? Come on, Sirius, think! We need your help to get out of here…"

For a moment, Sirius looked at him uncomprehending, but gradually his terrified expression began to relax and he seemed to become a little more human. He looked over at Arabella, who had started weeping quietly, and this stirred his confused mind into realization. Gripping Harry's shoulder for support he got shakily to his feet and walked over to embrace Arabella, whispering, "It's okay, 'Bella, I'm here. We'll get out…". He looked over her trembling form at Harry, who seemed surprisingly calm considering what Remus had told him about his reactions to dementors in the past.

"Are you alright?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah, just a bit cold. What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Being back here just brought back some bad memories… How long have we been here?"

"I'm not sure. A few hours, maybe-"

"Damn! My wand's missing. Yours too?" 

Harry nodded, "We've got to get them back, Sirius!"

"Well, they're not going to help us much in here, anyway. This room seems to have a magic inhibiting charm on it-I can't transform."

Harry noticed that Sirius seemed very uncomfortable as he said this. No doubt he had come to look upon his skill as an Animagus as an anchor that had kept him sane over twelve years of mental imprisonment.

"I guess my Patronus wouldn't work either, then", Harry added solicitously.

Sirius smiled at his obvious attempt to comfort him.

"Remus told me you had mastered your Patronus. That's very impressive, Harry. You know, to be honest, I still can't conjure a decent Patronus!"

Harry's mouth opened in surprise.

"I know…I should be ashamed of myself! James must have spent months trying to drag one out of me, but it never really worked. I don't know what I was doing wrong. It only took Moony a week to get it, of course, but then he always was a teacher's pet! It was so embarrassing, but I think Wormtail was grateful not to be the only incompetent wizard-"

"You're hardly incompetent, Sirius! Remus told me that nearly all wizards have difficulty with it."

"I'd like to believe that! 'But it doesn't matter, really, since I still have Padfoot to fall back on, or at least I _had_ Padfoot to fall back on…"

"Still, though, you should learn how to do it. I'll tell you what! You show me how to make Avada kedavra more powerful, and I'll show you how to conjure up a decent Patronus…"

"Excuse me, you two, but can I just point out that we are locked in a prison cell at Azkaban, at the evil clutches of the Dark Lord, and that neither of you have a wand?" Arabella interrupted archly, smiling at how the mood of despair had inexplicably been lifted.

"'And can I just point out that you have no imagination, Mrs. Figg?" Sirius stated boldly, winking conspiratorially at Harry, "Who needs a wand, anyway?"

"Right then!" Harry began, "This is what I do when I want to conjure a Patronus…"

***

Remus Lupin rushed through the heavy doors of Hogwarts, nearly tripping on the loose hem of his muggle trousers, and ran up the wide sweeping staircase to the first floor. He hurried down the cool corridors and, without thinking, found himself standing stupidly at the door of his old office. _You're getting old and forgetful, Lupin. This isn't Dumbledore's office!_ Frowning, he turned back around and finally made his way to the stone gargoyle, only to realise that he had forgotten the password. _Oh great! What was it again?…_

_ _

"Um…Cherry drop…Lemon rittleberries…Fizzing whizzbee…Oh, come on! Just open, will you?… I don't know, um, cheesy merrybeans….strawberry socks!"

The gargoyle suddenly sprang to life and opened up, revealing the revolving staircase within. Lupin gasped as he ascended upward, repeating, "Strawberry socks!", to himself in wonder. _Where on earth does he think these up?… 'And they say You-Know-Who is afraid of him! _Presently he arrived at the office. He knocked politely before entering.

"Ah, Remus, you're here. Good. I heard about the incident at Godric's Hollow-"

"Incident?" Remus asked innocently, sensing the dread building up in his stomach.

"Yes. I thought you and Sirius would have heard about it, since you were at the Ministry. It would appear the Death Eaters received news of Harry's visit to the house. They attacked a short time ago, and Harry and Arabella Figg are missing."

"That's awful! I'd no idea. What's being done?"

"Luckily there was no shortage of people to help, since the members of the Order of the Phoenix had already been recalled to help search for Mr. Weasley. They're presently on their way to Azkaban, where I am sure Voldemort is detaining Harry. No doubt Mr. Weasley will be headed in that direction anyway. In the meantime, I'd like you and Sirius to-"

"Sirius went to Godric's Hollow to find Harry! He must have been taken too-"

Dumbledore seemed unsurprised at this new development and looked at him curiously, his eyes wandering down to rest on the small piece of parchment Remus was twitching nervously in his hands. Remus suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit, and tried not to worry about his friend. Sirius could take care of himself.

"Oh, I came to show you this. We found it hidden in Percy Weasley's office, behind some obscure files on quidditch. I really don't know what to make of it. Here…"

The headmaster examined the document carefully and fell silent.

"Has Sirius seen this?"

Remus nodded, "Yes. 'That's why he ran off to see Harry. He wanted to deliver the good news…_Is_ it good news, Albus?"

"For some it is, but for Cornelius Fudge I suspect not…"

"I don't understand it, Professor. Why did Sirius spend twelve years in prison, if Fudge pardoned him?"

"I'm not sure yet, Remus, nor do I know what this, _"Irrefutable evidence", _spoken of can be. It's a shame our old friend Bartemius Crouch is no longer with us. No doubt he played some part in filing this away for Minister Fudge. Perhaps Mundungus Fletcher will be able to help, however. He oversaw Crouch's running of the Department at that time, I believe, in his capacity as Secretary to the Vice-Minister of Magic…"

_Fletcher…_Suddenly Remus recalled Arthur Weasley's words to him at the Ministry. Unfortunately he hadn't been paying much attention at the time, so engrossed was he in reading Sirius' pardon, but hadn't he said that Fletcher had turned up at the Burrow, acted strangely, and then left for Godric's Hollow? _Something's not right here…_ He felt Dumbledore's considering eye searching his face. As he looked up at the old wizard, Dumbledore observed him keenly.

"What are you thinking, Remus?"

"I'm not sure. Something just doesn't seem right about all this. Arthur Weasley mentioned something about Mundungus going to the Burrow to find Harry, and then hurrying off to Godric's Hollow. Next thing we hear is that the Death Eaters have somehow gotten wind of Harry's presence there too. Now Harry's missing, along with Sirius and Arabella…"

"You think Fletcher may have betrayed us?" Dumbledore asked him sharply.

"Perhaps… It won't be the first time he has betrayed Sirius, and if he was working at the Ministry when this evidence was found, it seems plausible that he might have concealed it in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I mean, it's not exactly at the forefront of the Ministry's business. It seems a pretty good place to hide information to me…"

"I believe you may be right, Remus, although it pains me to admit it. There is nothing we do about it at present, however. I shall visit Fudge and confront him. He won't lie to me."

"Is there anything I can do, Albus?"

"Yes, Remus. I would like you to go to Godric's Hollow and ensure that none of Voldemort's followers have remained. When you've done that, wait in the living room. I shall join you there shortly…"

***

In their dark cell at Azkaban, Harry had just finished teaching his godfather all he could remember about the correct method of conjuring a Patronus. Sirius had listened intently, and had finally deduced that his past inability to perfect the spell was probably just as a result of his lack of conviction. Harry's story of how he had only gained the confidence to perform it through seeing his future self doing so had amazed Sirius, and caused him to sigh because of all the interesting adventures of his godson he had never had the opportunity of asking about. 

"Well, Harry. We'll see how good a teacher you are when we get out of here. I can't wait to see what my shapeless white cloud will turn into, although knowing my luck it'll just be a fish, or something completely useless at defending me… "

Harry laughed as the image of his godfather swinging a dead fish at a group of dementors came into his head.

"It's your turn now, Sirius. Tell me how to improve the Killing Curse!"

"I don't know, Harry. Wouldn't you prefer me to teach you how to make women's clothes transparent? I mean, killing Death Eaters is all well and good, but there are far more important uses of magic…"

"Sirius!" scolded Arabella jokingly, "Don't mind him, Harry! He's no better at that spell than Expecto Patronum. He bullied James and Remus into trying it on poor Severus Snape once. I still can't get rid of the image of Snape's internal organs walking around the place-"

"So we went a bit too far… How were we to know that it wouldn't stop at his skin?"

"-for two months…No wonder he was always so scared of you!"

"It was just a joke. Anyway, we paid our penance: 'took us two whole weeks to clean all those floors by hand, and it certainly didn't help having you and Lily swanning around with your smug, we're-such-well-behaved-students faces on. Mind you, it did give us the opportunity to become better acquainted with the school's layout…", Sirius explained contritely, smiling knowingly at Harry.

"You'll have to show me that one when we get out of here!"

"Harry! He will do no such thing, will you Sirius?"

"I wouldn't dare…Okay, Harry. The incantation is relatively simple, just, _"Avada kedavra solo infinitum!"_. The curse works the same way as the one Malfoy hit you with at Privet Drive. You're concentrating all its power on one area of the body. Aim for the heart or the brain, and remember what I told you about selecting a really horrible, painful memory…"

"Avada kedavra solo infinitum! Right, that sounds easy enough-"

"It's not easy, Harry. Moony and I spent hours at the Order's headquarters practising with the others. There were at least two dozen witches and wizards there, and nobody could manage it. Alastor Moody says it can't be applied to Avada kedavra, and nobody knows more about the Unforgivable curses than _him_."

"Oh…"

Harry felt his spirits sink. He had been starting to think that he might have a chance of beating Voldemort if only he could get his wand back, but Sirius' words didn't fill him with confidence. The cell seemed to grow colder as the three sat in silence, digesting this discouraging piece of news. Harry suddenly started feeling frightened. _What if Voldemort realised the Penna was in his wand? Would he become more powerful than Dumbledore?_ Harry tried not to think about it, but felt a twinge of guilt at having failed in his duty to protect the Penna. He felt certain that none of his ancestors would have let it fall into the hands of an evil dark wizard. His mother had died defending it. Would he have to do the same? _I've got to do something. I can't just sit here… Maybe if Sirius and Arabella understand what's at stake they'll think of something…_

_ _

"There's something I have to tell the two of you. It's about my Mum-"

The cell door suddenly opened and a black-robed wizard stepped in, flanked by several dementors. Harry felt his blood run cold as the room around him began to spin and his mother's screams reverberated in his head. He was falling, falling through the swirling mist that surrounded him, into dark oblivion, aware of nothing but the piercing cold and the cruel voice torturing his mother. However, all of a sudden there was another voice, a woman, screaming not in fear, but in anger.

"Get them out of here! You're hurting them!"

The mist began to subside, and was gradually replaced by the dim surroundings of the cell in Azkaban. Harry found that he was lying on the floor, shivering. He could feel his face wet with perspiration and tears. Moaning softly, he stirred weakly on the hard floor, only to be raised roughly to his feet by a dark figure. It had a silver arm. _Wormtail! _Harry stood trembling, trying to make his vision focus. The dementors seemed to have moved out into the corridor following Arabella's outburst, while Sirius had retreated back into his corner of the cell, with his face hidden in his hands. Harry called his name in a hollow, exhausted voice, which seemed to attract his attention.

"Sirius! I won't let him hurt anyone, no matter what…"

"Come on, Potter!"

Harry turned reluctantly and was pulled out of the cell by Wormtail. He heard the cell door shutting behind him as he was ushered out into the long corridor, the dementors retreating at his captor's commands. Just as he began to walk to whatever fate awaited him, however, he felt Wormtail push someone up to walk alongside him. Turning, he rubbed his eyes to make sense of the red blob in front of him.

"Ron?" he exclaimed incredulously, "What are _you_ doing here?"

A/N: Well, there's not much point in my thanking people for reviewing, since ff.net has been all screwed up, and only two people managed to review, the wonderful Coqui, and I can't imagine how she did it, just good timing, I guess, and Rede, who completely amazed me by going to the trouble of finding my email address. Thank you both so much. If there were prize money of a thousand galleons it would go to you… Everyone please make an effort to review this chapter, if you can, as I've been very unfortunate with this fic in terms of ff.net breaking down, changing to chaptering, deleting reviews for three chapters etc. If lots of you review, I'll get the next part up **really** quickly, I promise J.

Pleiades.


	15. Chapter XV

Disclaimer: The usual. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling etc.

# The Secret Keeper

**Chapter XV**

For a brief moment, Harry and Ron stared at each other, a mixture of amazement and understanding on their faces. 

"Ron?" Harry exclaimed incredulously, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Harry! Geez, I knew you'd be stupid enough to come after me-"

"Don't flatter yourself! I'm afraid I wasn't that stupid afterall. The Death Eaters showed up at Godric's Hollow. Sirius and Arabella are back in the cell."

As he finished speaking, Harry felt something long and pointed poking him in the small of the back and pushing him onward. _Wormtail's wand. _He marched ahead with Ron, desperately sorry that his friend had become caught up in his plight. Ron seemed unharmed, just tired and a little dirty, and Harry was glad that the awkwardness that had arisen between them following Percy's death seemed to have vanished. Smiling, Ron glanced sideways at him, considering.

"Godric's Hollow? Isn't that where your Mum and Dad…"

"Yeah."

"What were you doing there?"

"Looking around. Listen, Ron, Voldemort has my wand. If you see it, try to get it, or at least get my attention."

Ron shivered at the mention of Voldemort's name but Harry was perfectly used to this. He desperately wanted to explain everything that had happened since Ron had run away, especially since his friend seemed so, well, friendly and glad to see him. Ron was still grinning at him, even as they marched down the halls of Azkaban possibly to their deaths, and ridiculously enough, Harry noticed that his hair seemed redder when he was smiling. He suddenly realised, with a jolt of sadness, just how much he had missed having Ron around to make fun of him and laugh at his press coverage. It was fun having Sirius for a friend, but Ron was different. He wasn't afraid to mock him or make him seem ridiculous. Sirius, on the other hand, sometimes seemed positively terrified of upsetting his godson, perhaps due to his sense of guilt about his parents' death. Strangely enough, however, Harry regretted this, as he didn't want Sirius to think that there was anything he could ever say that would upset him enough to make him hate him. Ron knew how much he could get away with and this offered welcome relief from the hordes of people who seemed either to hero-worship him or to wait for him to break down in tears for his troubled life. Right now, however, Ron seemed to have other things on his mind besides his best friend's problems.

"Is Mum really mad at me?"

"No, just worried. The entire wizarding world has been out searching for you, you know. By the way, searching Snape's office was a stroke of genius!"

"Thanks, Harry. I knew you'd appreciate it! What's going to happen to us now?"

"After Snape takes fifty points from Gryffindor? I don't know… 'Just your typical showdown with Voldemort, I guess. Hey! What happened to my Dad's cloak?"

"Oh, geez, I'm really sorry Harry. I suppose it must be back on the hill where Malfoy caught me-"

"Be quiet!" Wormtail hissed in the darkness behind them.

To Ron's utter dismay, Harry unexpectedly swung around and with surprising strength and speed grabbed Wormtail's wand from his grasp. Pettigrew staggered back in shock as Harry turned his wand against him, a look of pure hatred seeming incongruous on his childish face. Ron glared at Harry admiringly as he advanced on Pettigrew. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other Death Eater reach for his wand. Without thinking, Ron threw himself upon the tall black-robed figure, knocking him to the ground, and began pounding him with his fists. Through the commotion he heard Harry's voice call out.

"Expelliarmis!"

The Death Eater's wand flew through the rancid air and Harry caught it deftly before passing it to Ron as he struggled to free himself from a tangle of robes. Harry pointed Wormtail's wand at the dementors who seemed to be becoming excited at the sudden surge in emotions.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The dementors recoiled in fear as the enormous white stag erupted from the tip of Pettigrew's wand. Ron could barely conceal how he impressed he was as the ghost Prongs ran down the corridor, its silvery hair glistening in the darkness. Within seconds Harry found himself alone with Ron and the two Death Eaters in the cool dark corridor. He glanced anxiously from Ron to Wormtail, but seeing his own anxiety matched in Ron's brown eyes, he nodded in understanding. Together they raised their wands at the Death Eaters.

"Stupefy!" they chorused.

The two Death Eaters slumped to the floor unconscious. Ron approached Wormtail's lifeless form and kicked him roughly in the ribs, smiling apologetically at Harry.

"Well at least I didn't kill him! Come on…"

Ron turned to run back in the direction of the cell holding Sirius and Arabella but stopped a short way down the corridor as he realised Harry was not with him. Harry was standing uncertainly over Wormtail's body.

"Harry, come on! We have to get Sirius and Arabella and get out of here!"

Ron looked at Harry and could see the terrible internal conflict he was in.

"No. Listen Ron, I can't go. Get Sirius and Arabella, and find a way out. Make sure Sirius doesn't try to come after me! I'll follow you if I can-"

"What are you talking about? Come on, there's no time…"

"I have to get my wand-"

"For God's sake, Harry! You can get a new wand… Harry! Damn it…"

Ron stomped his feet in frustration as Harry ran off in the opposite direction. Why was Harry being so stupid? _It's just a wand! I'll get Sirius…_

_ _

***

_This is really stupid, and you know it! Go back! Help Ron, Sirius and Arabella find a way out. You're really going to get yourself killed this time…_ Harry tried to ignore the doubt that was slowly consuming his mind. He couldn't leave without the Penna. To do so would undermine everything his parents had done to save him. It was his duty to protect it, no matter what. _'But what are you going to do? Voldemort already has it. He's probably already out there, killing muggles and enslaving the world…_Somehow, however, Harry suspected that he would know if Voldemort had discovered the Penna. His scar was burning slightly, but not enough to warrant any fear of Voldemort's becoming more powerful. Maybe there was still time for him to retrieve it.

Harry slowed down and began to walk. Azkaban appeared to be nothing more than a maze of identical corridors and metal doors, with no clear layout. The walls seemed to have been carved out of the very rock comprising the island and were cool and damp to the touch. Harry continued to walk blindly onward, shivering slightly in the cold and knowing that he was completely lost. He couldn't return to Ron and the others now even if he wanted to. He stopped suddenly, glaring at the walls suspiciously. _This is useless. I'm sure I've been in this corridor before…I know-_

_ _

Harry laid Wormtail's wand flat on his palm and muttered, "Point me!" Instantly the wand spun around like a compass. _Right. I'll leave my watch here as a marker. _Harry took off his watch, which was still broken since the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, laid it on the floor, and began walking northward.

***

Not very far away, Sirius, Arabella and Ron stood nervously outside their cell, staring at the wand balancing on Ron's hand.

"Right. Pick a direction: north, south, east or west-" 

"North." Arabella chimed.

"North?! Harry wouldn't go north", Sirius drawled exasperatedly.

"Why not?" Ron and Arabella demanded.

"Because… I know my godson and he wouldn't go north. That's why."

"Alright then, Mr. Know-it-all, which way _would_ he go, then?" Arabella asked, smiling sympathetically at Ron.

"That's easy. South, of course."

"Oh, of course", said Arabella as she raised her eyes to the ceiling, "How stupid of me! Come on, then…"

***

Harry continued navigating his way through the dark passages, occasionally checking that he was headed in the right direction with Wormtail's wand, but his feet were beginning to drag and he felt exhausted. It seemed like he had been walking for hours, yet he had only had to call on his Patronus once when a pair of dementors had blocked his path. Other than that, his journey had been eerily quiet and undisturbed. 

Wearily, he sat down on the icy floor and let his head rest against the hard wall. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea afterall. Azkaban seemed enormous, with more passages and rooms than Hogwarts. Harry suddenly understood the enormity of his godfather's achievement. Breaking out of Azkaban must have been nearly impossible, and Sirius had done it without a wand. No wonder Fudge had been so afraid of him. _How on earth did he do it?_ _Well,_ _he certainly didn't do it sitting around, Potter…_

Sighing, Harry got to his feet and trudged onward. He turned around the corner and stopped in fright. Ahead of him lay a huge stone tunnel, and he was certain he had seen it before, perhaps in a dream. The ceiling extended high above his head, and at the far end of it he could discern a large, brightly lit cavern. Harry tightened his grip on his wand and proceeded cautiously down the tunnel toward the light, his senses alert to the slightest hint of danger. He stopped at the entrance to the cavern and peered inside, suddenly regretting the absence of his invisibility cloak. The cavern was lit with torches and a large central fire, behind which stood an impressive throne. 

And on the throne were four wands.

Harry gasped and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone in the vicinity. Harry quickly ran into the room, his face set in grim determination, and hurried over to the throne. His wand was right there! He would just take it and run out. It would be as easy as that…

But-

"Hello, Harry! I've been waiting for you…"

Harry stopped at the sound of the high cold voice behind his back. _Just get the wand-_

_ _

"Oh! You want your wand back. What a shame. Accio!"

Harry ducked as all four wands flew off the seat and raced through the air. Defeated, he turned around to face his foe. Lord Voldemort had not changed a great deal since their last encounter. Harry grimaced at the familiar thin, pale, reptilian face, with its slit-like nose and red eyes. Voldemort was also better attired than last time, dressed in deep emerald robes with a black sash and cloak. He smiled menacingly at Harry while discarding some of the wands in a bemused manner onto the floor.

"As you can see I've borrowed your little summoning charm…most effective, I thank you. Oh, and don't worry, Harry. There are no portkeys here. You'll leave when I have finished with you, but right now we have important business."

Harry raised Wormtail's wand nervously, wondering what would happen if he duelled with a wand whose core was unrelated to that of Voldemort's wand.

"I believe that belongs my servant-"

Voldemort pointed a long, thin, bony finger at Harry, who immediately felt his grip on the wand loosening. He stared in shock as his fingers were pulled back one by one and the wand shot forward to land at the Dark Lord's feet. Voldemort stepped over it and approached Harry, who suddenly felt very small and exposed. As Voldemort aimed his wand at his heart, however, Harry remained standing upright, determined not to cower before his parents' killer. Voldemort glared at him thoughtfully through his bright ruby eyes.

"Whatever did you do with Wormtail? I know you didn't kill him, despite your recent success with that particular curse. Yes, I know about that…Well, whatever you did to the old rat was pointless, really, since he was ordered to bring you here anyway. You know why have been brought you here, do you not? You have the Penna Potissimus. Now, give it to me!"

***

_ _

Sirius stopped and stared stupidly at the dead end ahead of him. He could feel Arabella's stern, knowing gaze on his back, and sense Ron trying not to giggle. Resignedly, he turned around to face them.

"Alright, maybe he didn't go south afterall…"

"'And maybe you don't know your godson as well as you think you do!" Arabella retorted.

"Yeah, well, James would have gone south", Sirius muttered under his breath, careful not to catch Arabella's eye.

"What do we do now?" Ron asked timidly.

"We go north, and prove to old Padfoot here that he shouldn't be so quick to doubt female intuition in future!"

Ron glanced sympathetically at Sirius, who's face remained blank with surprise. As they turned back around and began walking, Ron and Arabella chuckled as they heard Sirius grumbling to himself.

"I can't believe he didn't go south…" 

***

_ _

As Voldemort advanced on him, Harry took a step backward trying to avoid the terrifying gaze that kept driving a dagger of pure agonising pain through his scar. Voldemort held his wand outstretched, waiting for Harry's response. His mind was reeling. Voldemort didn't realise the Penna was in his wand! Now, if he could only get it back…

"I don't know what you mean…" he tried pathetically.

"Well, maybe this will jog your memory: Crucio solo infinitum!"

The curse hit Harry square in the chest and he collapsed to the floor, struggling for breath. It was an agony beyond anything he had ever experienced and as he feebly clutched his arms to his chest in pain, he was aware of his vision fading in and out. He inhaled desperately in great, wracking heaves that succeeded only in sending an unmerciful spasm of pain across his diaphragm. Harry continued to squirm on the hard floor, oblivious to his surroundings and the evil wizard watching him with unconcealed pleasure. His head began to pound deafeningly as he hyperventilated and he found himself almost praying that he would black out as he had last time. It was sheer agony to breathe, but the more he tried to stop inhaling, the worse his hyperventilating became. He heard, as if through a haze, Voldemort's voice speaking quietly in his ear.

"You'd like this to end, wouldn't you Harry?"

Harry opened his eyes wide, but could not speak through the pain and his struggle for breath. Voldemort's face flickered oddly before his eyes, and Harry had the sudden terrible thought that this would be the last thing he saw before he died, just like his parents. _No, I won't let him win. I won't!_With a sudden burst of adrenalin, Harry glared defiantly at Voldemort and struggled to his knees. His head seemed strangely heavy, threatening to pull him back down to the floor, but Harry forced it to remain upright. Weakly he stood before his enemy, still gasping for air and unable to see properly. He felt terribly dizzy, and the cavern seemed to be sloping around him in an odd manner, but he could sense Voldemort's surprise that he was back on his feet. With a rush of excitement and pride Harry also realised that he could sense his opponent's fear, as if suddenly Voldemort had begun to doubt himself.

"You don't give in, do you Harry?" 

Harry heard Voldemort's voice, rich with suggestion and malice, but it no longer scared him; it just angered him. The pain in his chest began to subside and his breathing became easier. Standing before him, the image of Voldemort sharpened, still with his wand pointed straight at him.

"I'll ask you again, Harry. Where is the Penna Potissimus?"

"I'll never tell you!" he croaked through his gasps for air, "It doesn't matter what you do to me…I'll – never – tell."

"I doubt that, Harry. I can keep this up for the rest of your miserable life, if need be. Crucio solo infinitum!"

***

Ron checked his wand again before leading Sirius and Arabella down another corridor. Sirius nodded grimly at him and walked up beside him. Sirius had been next to him ever since his little quarrel with Arabella, apparently still peeved at her for proving him wrong. Ron smiled wanly at Arabella, who stayed behind them. She returned his smile, glancing at Sirius and then raising her eyes upward. And so they continued walking in complete silence, silence that was broken only occasionally by Sirius growling to himself. After a while, however, Sirius halted and ran forward to pick something small and glistening up from the floor.

"What is it?" Arabella asked, forgetting she was not supposed to be talking to him.

"Harry's watch! That's strange, it doesn't work. Well at least we know he must have come this way…Sorry, I guess you were right."

"Well, I am his godmother. I am allowed to know him too, am I not?"

"I suppose…"

A warm, genuine smile stole naturally across Sirius' face and Ron had the sudden horrible suspicion that they were going to start kissing right there in front of him. Feeling a blush rising in his cheeks, he turned away and walked a short distance ahead, his insides squirming as he heard their lips meeting. He was grateful when the corridor he was in took a sharp turn to the right, shielding them from his view. He found himself in yet another long, dark hallway lined with metal doors. _Great…we'll never find Harry at this rate. _

"Come on, you two!" he called angrily around the corner.

Arabella arrived, followed by Sirius who seemed rather breathless but happy. Ron turned away to hide his disgust as Sirius winked at Arabella and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her along down the corridor behind him. They marched on, each deep in their own thoughts and saying nothing until suddenly the silence was shattered by a terrible anguished scream piercing the depths of Azkaban. Sirius halted, his face paling as he recognised the pained voice.

"Harry!"

Sirius broke into a run, followed closely by Arabella and Ron. Harry's voice had sounded tantalisingly close, perhaps only a few corridors away, but it had been wracked with unmistakable agony. They had to get to him quickly. The three hurried onward, grateful at the surprising lack of dementors patrolling the prison. Presently the long narrow corridor turned around a sharp bend into a large open tunnel. There was a warm haze of light emanating from a cavern at the opposite

end, and Sirius grabbed the wand out of Ron's hand and rushed toward it. Another agonized yell confirmed their suspicions. It was indeed Harry. Without warning, Sirius dashed into the cavern. Arabella yelped and grabbed Ron by the shoulder to stop him entering. She tugged on his robes to hide him from view.

***

The pain suddenly subsided and Harry opened his eyes. Voldemort seemed to have been distracted, so Harry took advantage of the painless lull to catch his breath and steady his shaking body. As he struggled to sit up, he noted that he had never ached so much in his life. Voldemort had been ruthless, cursing him time and again. After a while he had even stopped questioning him about the Penna, apparently just inflicting pain for the pleasure of it. Harry's vision still seemed strangely blurred and as he raised his hands to rub his eyes he realised that he had lost his glasses. He began searching the stone floor for them, the activity drawing his awareness away from the pain. He discovered his glasses a short distance away, miraculously intact. Before he could put them on, however, a familiar voice filled him with dread. Surely Sirius had left with Ron as he had instructed. This couldn't be real.

"Leave him alone! Haven't you done enough damage?"

It _was_ Sirius. _Oh, God. What is he doing here?_ Harry shoved his glasses on and stood up slowly, gripping the throne for support. He looked at Sirius standing boldly before Lord Voldemort and felt suddenly afraid. Voldemort had his back turned to Harry and was pointing his wand straight at Sirius.

"No!" Harry screamed with greater confidence than he felt, "Don't kill him! Please, I'll do anything…"

Voldemort did not turn but kept his icy glare trained on Sirius. 

"Anything, Harry? Very well. You know what I want."

"You know I can't give you that."

Sirius looked questioningly at Harry, apparently confused. Voldemort, however, ignored this.

"Then he dies. Avada Ked-"

"Wait!" Harry yelled, "This is pointless. You could kill all my friends and I still wouldn't give it to you. Don't you understand? My mother died to save me so that I could protect it. Do you really think I would let her death be in vain? There are more lives at stake here than my own, or my friends'. I can't possibly give it to you…"

Harry stopped speaking, the silence around him broken only by the gentle flickering of the fire. Feeling utterly exhausted, he walked around to stand next to Sirius. A stalemate seemed to have arisen, but Harry was too tired to notice. Without realising what he was doing, his eyes closed and he slumped heavily onto the floor, aware only of the weight of his bones and the pain permeating them. He heard Voldemort's voice as if from far away.

"Very well, Harry. If you won't give it to me through torture, your godfather's death or the Imperius Curse, I shall create a Secret Keeper who is easier to control. Weasley! Why don't you stop hiding in the tunnel and be of service to your friend? Severus, bring him in, the woman too…"

** **

** **

A/N: Haha, I bet you're all really confused now. Don't worry, all will be explained in the next part. See if you can guess! Not much else to say really, just a big, fluffy thank you with strawberry sauce and sprinkles to the few kind reviewers who successfully braved Fido's attack and managed to review. The next chapter may take awhile as I want to get it just right. Please be patient and understand that it will be worth the wait. By the way, when I say it will take a while, I mean a week to ten days at most. Anyway, thanks to:

The wonderful Coqui who has actually offered to beta read. Thank you so much. There's a knickerbocker glory the size of the Empire state building on its way to you.

Caitlyn: It must be you who put these ice cream cravings in my head. How could you? Don't you know that I associate strawberry with ice cream? Argh! lol. Anyway, your socks sound cool! I'm jealous J

*cocacola* : Glad you liked it. You get the Pear William.

Nagh: Great. Hope you like banana splits…

Nameless: Thanks! Don't worry. Hardly anyone could review last time thanks to ff.net. I hope this part is okay. It's really just a connecting chapter, though. All the good exciting stuff is in the next one, so keep an eye out! How about a Peach Melba…

Dunno: I wrote as quickly as I could. The big showdown with Voldie is in the next chapter, and I'll give you a little hint. Harry will have some help from two unlikely sources (or maybe three…I have to work this out.). Anyway, you get a Colour Ripple. Don't complain, they're yummy.

CTRsoccer: Great. Have a cornetto…

Sorry for all the ice cream references. I have a terrible craving. I think it's Caitlyn's fault. I better go have some…

Pleiades


	16. Chapter XVI

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling except the concept of this story.

# 

# The Secret Keeper

Chapter XVI****

Sirius snapped his eyes up from the huddled form of his godson lying collapsed at his feet at the mention of Snape's name, wryly thinking that at least things couldn't get any worse. In the course of a day he had succeeded in not only uncovering a conspiracy to keep him imprisoned for the best part of twelve years, but had actually managed to get himself, his godson and Arabella captured by Death Eaters and thrown at the mercy of the most feared dark wizard in the world. And here to witness the full extent of his incompetence, with impeccable timing as always, was Severus Snape. Sirius could feel Harry stirring against him, looking searchingly up at his face, no doubt waiting for the explosive reaction that seemed inevitable, but Sirius knew better than to mistrust Snape now, however great his dislike for the man. 

Snape had risked everything, even his life, to gain intelligence for the Order of the Phoenix, information that the Order could never have hoped to obtain without his assistance. He had given up a comfortable, if unfulfilling life, to aid in the fight against Voldemort's tyranny, and Sirius could not help but hold a certain grudging respect for him. The two had reached an unspoken agreement during their painful departure from Hogwarts just over a month ago. As they had left the hospital wing, neither man had spoken, but both had expressed their mutual dislike by keeping as much space between themselves as possible during their hasty exit. It had been a ridiculous, childish display, rendered almost impossible by the crowds of weeping schoolgirls, desperate either to ask their forbidding teacher if Harry was all right, or to pat the cute black dog for comfort.

Sirius had been on his way to look up his old friend Remus, looking forward to a reunion he had only dreamed about in Azkaban, while Snape had been facing possible execution for his delay in replying to the Death Eater summons. Nevertheless, before he had disapparated from beyond the school grounds Snape had had the decency, through an unconcealed scowl, to wish him good luck. Sirius still regretted not returning the sentiment, but kept reminding himself that this was the same man who tried to hand him over for execution to the dementors a year ago. Dumbledore was right; a lack of open hostility really was the most that could be hoped for in their relations.

Watching the entrance of the cavern, Sirius saw Arabella and Ron being ushered in by Snape, who walked a short way behind them carrying his slim ebony wand at his side. Snape had a most curious walk. He seemed to almost glide across the floor, holding his head perfectly stationary at a fixed height above the ground and, dressed in his long flowing robes, one would be forgiven for suspecting that he moved without feet. It was no wonder then, that so many of his students feared him, 

for he was ghostlike in appearance, tall and pale, with dark, receding greasy hair, his presence often unnoticed until his voice spoke suddenly from 

behind you. Only then would you know that were in trouble.

As his long-standing enemy looked directly at him, Sirius noticed that for the most part Snape was unchanged, bearing no obvious indications of punishment from his master. This came as a relief to Sirius who was well aware that Snape's infrequent spy reports had a disturbing tendency to dwell more on the necessary arrangements for protecting Harry's life than on the necessary arrangements for ensuring his own continued safety within the Death Eater circle. Snape's expression was as unreadable as ever (the ideal poker face, as Sirius had often joked to his classmates during their late night card sessions in Gryffindor tower), but his eyes quickly darted away as he adopted a submissive stance at a respectable distance from Lord Voldemort. 

Arabella and Ron continued to walk deeper into the torchlit room to stand before Voldemort. Sirius was glad to note that they seemed unharmed and was impressed that Ron did not flinch under the Dark Lord's gaze. Evidently, four years with Harry had granted him nerves of steel. Harry on the other hand was still half-sitting, half-lying on the floor below him, looking completely exhausted. Sirius reached down to help him up, scrutinizing him closely to try and figure out what Voldemort had done to him, but as usual, Harry's expression was blank and gave nothing away. Sirius looked at him questioningly but Harry kept his focus on Voldemort,who was walking slowly back and forth in front of Ron, sneering at him through his cold, reptilian eyes.

"Are you not afraid of Lord Voldemort, Weasley?"

Ron seemed unsure how to answer and gaped imploringly at Harry.

"Leave him alone! I thought it was me you were after…" Harry demanded in a weak drawl.

"Don't be rude, Harry! Crucio!"

Sirius gripped Harry as he writhed silently in pain. He let him sink gently to the ground to catch his breath. Voldemort was ignoring them, however, his attention still 

rapt on a rather uncomfortable looking Ron.

"Now, Weasley, we were talking about fear, were we not?"

Ron glanced at Harry, barely conscious on the ground.

"Ignore him for now, Weasley! He bears a difficult burden, but you shall relieve him of it soon…"

"What are you talking about?" Sirius demanded getting to his feet to stand defensively over Harry.

"Ah, Sirius Black! I remember you well. You remind me a lot of young Weasley here, actually, living in the shadow of your great friend James Potter. It must have been difficult for him having to babysit you _as well_ as his wife and son. I haven't forgotten what you did to Nagini's mother, by the way…but I'll let _her_ punish you for _that_… However, I can see you are confused, so before you die I shall explain to you the importance and the true nature of what you have failed to protect, but first, a little test…"

Voldemort swiftly pointed his wand at Ron, who seemed paralysed with shock. Harry made a sudden movement to get to his feet, but almost immediately fell down onto his stomach in exhaustion. Before Sirius could act, the Dark Lord was uttering the incantation.

"Imperio!… Take this knife, Ron, and stab Harry in the, oh, why not the back?…Do it! Stab Harry Potter in the back!"

Sirius recognised the vacant, relaxed expression in Ron's eyes and knew that the boy hadn't a hope of resisting the curse the way that Harry could. Without hesitation, Ron accepted the proferred knife and strolled dazedly over to Harry's slumped form. As he raised the knife vertically above Harry's back, Sirius reached out to stop him, but instantly felt his body being pulled away by an invisible force. He was helpless to stop it. With his arms flailing vainly, Sirius struggled to escape whatever force was pulling him from his godson, but to no avail. He heard the swift, remorseless passage of the knife through the air, followed by Harry's grunt of pain as through a daze and when he looked up he saw only the look of triumph on Voldemort's bony visage.

"Excellent, Weasley! You will do very well… You see how foolish you are, Black, to fight me. I believe it's time you learned the truth about your godson since without the protection of his mother's Fidelius Charm he will soon die of that wound…" 

There was a stark clinking noise as Ron dropped the bloody knife from his hand. He remained kneeling on the floor for a long time, his face white under his freckles, staring open-mouthed at the large gaping wound on Harry's back. With tears in his eyes, he turned rapidly to Voldemort, who laughed manically at his pained expression.

"It's pathetic really: The great Harry Potter, stabbed in the back by his own best friend. Sound familiar, Black? There is a very good reason why the so-called, "Boy-Who-Lived", should be made to suffer in this way. You shall understand it soon enough…Severus, leave us! See if young Draco needs any help with the dementors! 'And if you see Wormtail, tell him to begin the preparations! I don't have all day…"

Snape walked gracefully out of the cavern without a backward glance, and Arabella took advantage of the distraction to pull Ron into a tight hug and lead him over to stand next to herself and Sirius. Ron buried his face in her robes, but no sound emerged as he sobbed silent bitter tears. Harry lay prone on the hard floor, his shoulders heaving with the effort to keep breathing, while on his back a sickening dark stain was spreading steadily out from the open wound, visible even in the semi-darkness of the cavern. Arabella whipped off her cloak and mopped at the blood, applying as much pressure as possible to stop the incessant flow, but Harry barely even registered her presence; he merely continued to shake with the numbing cold and the pain.

Voldemort walked lazily to his throne and sat down, laying his own wand on his lap next to Harry's. His blood red eyes glinted eerily in the semi-darkness as he stared into the fire. Without glancing at his captives he began to speak.

"Centuries ago, in his pioneering studies of manuscripts of ancient lore, my greatest ancestor Salazar Slytherin learned of a forgotten talisman that was said to hold the source of all magical power in existence. The first wizarding scribes named it the Penna Potissimus, or Primal Feather, for it was said to have manifested itself in the embryo of a new-born phoenix and thus it would remain immortal. Lord Slytherin, in his infinite wisdom, recognised the danger of leaving such a powerful object undefended and so undertook a great quest to retrieve it, not to wield it for his own gain, but simply to protect it from the muggle barbarians who threatened to abuse it.

It was a noble mission, aimed at ensuring the infinite reign of wizards, but was sadly blighted by the troublesome interference of Godric Gryffindor. Not long after my ancestor came upon the Penna, Gryffindor greedily demanded that it be placed under his own protection. A desperate battle between the two mages ensued in which my great ancestor fought bravely, but Gryffindor finally emerged triumphant, forcing Slytherin, the greatest wizard of all time, into a dark underground where he initiated a new Age of Purity among wizards. Those wise enough to join him were educated in a revolutionary style of magic, and so the greatest curses came into existence, my own favourite Cruciatus among them.

When I first read of my ancestor's heroic past, I vowed to continue his important work, and so I did, while at the same time continuing my search for the Penna Potissimus and Gryffindor's heir. You can imagine my delight when I discovered that the family line extended to the Evans family, a family by no means distinguished for their powers or strength. Descended from Gryffindor's only daughter, the Evans woman was weak and helpless to defend herself, but refused to surrender the talisman to me. Stupid woman! I searched her house but it eluded me, so I killed her, her husband too. Ah! I can still hear her pathetic cries for mercy… Some brave Gryffindor! I left the house in a rage, determined to find it no matter how long it took. 

The years passed and I became more and more powerful. Soon I had the entire wizarding world at my feet. Only Hogwarts stood between me and my domination over the muggles. I raised a terrfying army of wizards, giants and dementors and prepared for a final decisive attack on Dumbledore's stronghold, but then one day, a stupid young wizard and his girlfriend broke into my fortress at Azkaban to rescue their careless friend, you, Black, who had foolishly been captured by my loyal servants. Their plan succeeded, but before they left, the prisoner thought it would be funny to attack Nagini's mother who was then with child. I arrived in time to stop the unprovoked attack, but not to prevent the three escaping through the use of a portkey. Before they left, however, I noticed that the girl looked familiar. She had the same red hair and green eyes as the Evans woman. 

I began to realise what had happened. Sarah Evans did not tell me where the Penna was because she did not know. She had used the Fidelius Charm to conceal it from me, making her only magical daughter her Secret Keeper. It was a brilliant plan, I must admit. Over the next two years I learned all that I could about the girl and her friends. Luring Pettigrew into my service helped a great deal… The rest of the story is well documented. Suffice it to say that I did not realise the girl had had the foresight to perform the same charm on her baby son, and so I met my downfall…until last year."

Sirius nodded grimly at Arabella, remembering how they had unwittingly teased Lily about her supposed relation to Godric Gryffindor. It was not very surprising then that Harry, in whom he had always detected something special, an aura of hidden power as it were, should be Gryffindor's heir. Evidently, Arabella was quite surprised by this revelation for she was watching Harry in amazement as though seeing him truly for the first time. Sirius tried to imagine the portrait of Gryffindor hanging over the fireplace at Godric's Hollow. He could still picture the old man's unmoving green eyes, still bright and radiant despite the years of dust that had accumulated on the canvas. _Yes! That could be Harry sixty years from now! If he survives this…_

Sirius angrily approached Voldemort's impressive throne, his gaze automatically connecting with one of the wands lying across the Dark Lord's knees. Harry's wand seemed to have a barely perceptible gold streak running through it that Sirius had never noticed before. _Quite a pretty wand, really…_For a moment he eyed it hungrily, desperate to reach out for it and curse Voldemort into oblivion, but knew that he probably wouldn't survive a duel with the dark wizard anyway.

"Harry has already said that he won't show you where this talisman is, and he can resist the Imperius Curse-"

"I am aware of that, Black. I shall therefore transfer the Fidelius Charm to another more malleable Secret Keeper. Weasley here will do nicely, very little resolve I see…"

"I won't do it! I'd sooner die than make you more powerful-" Ron blurted.

"Yes, yes", Voldemort hissed idly, waving his hand, "We'll see…Ah, Wormtail. Excellent. You may begin the preparations. Has Severus brewed the potion?"

"Here, my Lord."

"Very well. Harry, drink this!"

"I will not!" Harry exclaimed with surprising strength from his position on the floor.

"Drink it or I will kill your godparents!I have no use for them after all…"

Voldemort extended his wand and pointed it at Sirius' heart. Unwilling to call the Dark Lord's bluff, especially when his godparents' lives were in danger, Harry got slowly to his feet, gripping his back with one hand and brushing away Sirius' tight restraining grip with the other, and took the goblet from Wormtail's silver hand. The metallic cup felt cool to the touch, and inside was a thin green liquid. Harry looked down at it nervously, trying to guess what kind of a potion it was. Assuming it was just part of the procedure for performing the Fidelius Charm, he took a long swig from it. Almost immediately he felt the cold liquid travel all over his body, turning his insides to ice and making him shiver. His mouth filled with a strange metallic taste causing his stomach to lurch forbodingly and Harry retched uncontrollably on the floor. Feeling slightly nauseous and dizzy, Harry whispered to Sirius, the anxiety in his voice making his godfather very uneasy.

"Is this part of the charm?"

"It wasn't when I did it. James just used a simple incantation on me. What does it feel like?"

"Awful. Sirius, I can't let him do this... He's killed too many people. Listen, I have Voldemort's knife here in my pocket.I'll have to kill myself-"

"Harry! "

"If I die now, before he can transfer the charm, then the Secret dies with me-"

"-Or the charm will end altogether and he'll find the Penna straight away! No, we have to wait and see how this plays out… Look. I'm no expert on charms, Harry, but I don't think what he's planning is possible. Only the person who performed the charm on you can transfer it. I ought to know, since I had to get James to transfer it from me to Wormtail-"

"Then what's he going to do? Raise my Mum from the grave?!"

"I don't know, Harry…just try to hang on. We'll get out of this. 'Bella, 'any idea how he means to pull this off?"

"No, he's crazy. It can't be done. I'm sure of it, and I wouldn't worry about necromancy. The last of the necromancers died out centuries ago."

"Then how-"

Harry broke off suddenly and Sirius turned to see Voldemort standing directly behind him, holding his godson's wand in his long, bony hand.

"I might have use for you after all, Black. Follow me!"

Sirius stood resolutely beside Harry, who was beginning to look decidedly ill. His messy dark hair was clinging to the perspiration on his skin and his breathing seemed shallow. _What's wrong with him? It can't just be the knife wound, surely…_

_ _

"Very well. Wormtail, kill the woman!"

"No! I'm coming."

Sirius hurried after Voldemort directing a murderous glance at his former friend, who quailed visibly before him. Voldemort led him across the cavern to a position near the wall.

"Wormtail! Where is the antidote?"

"Here, my Lord."

Harry looked up in alarm as Voldemort took the small glass phial from Wormtail and tied it around his neck. 

"You poisoned me," he stated simply, numb wth disbelief.

Sirius nearly exploded with rage, "Poison? Why?"

"Silence! Black, return to your position! I will not warn you again… Carcer niger!"

A black beam shot out of Voldemort's wand creating a small cage, just barely large enough for two people. Sirius watched Wormtail carefully out of the corner of his eye, daring him to hurt either Arabella or Harry as he opened a door in the flickering black bars and ushered them inside. He practically had to drag Harry across the floor, who seemed to have lost all strength in his legs. Ron was standing nervously alone on one side of the cavern, his eyes flitting from one side of the room to the other as if searching for somewhere to hide.

"Wormtail, stand here and take the wands…"

Sirius was amazed as Voldemort directed Pettigrew to a position directly opposite him on the other side of the room and handed him the two wands. Pettigrew seemed unperturbed by his master's strange behaviour. Whatever was going on, Sirius thought angrily, he was in on it. Pettigrew had not changed much since their last brief encounter in the Shrieking Shack. His tattered, grey robes still appeared several sizes too large for him, despite his capacious frame, and his chubby nose still looked in urgent need of a tissue. Pettigrew was the kind of person who never looked clean or well-groomed no matter how hard he tried, and his sloppy, inelegant appearance was grossly mirrored in his awkward, ungainly carriage. He carried out his master's orders with an air of self-importance and indifference that Sirius found infuriating. Pettigrew did not meet his eye as he idly twirled Voldemort's and Harry's wands in his stubby hands, as if the other man was too lowly to be of consequence to him, but Sirius knew from the fretful twitching of his mouth that Wormtail was fully aware of being watched; he was just hiding his fear under a mask of superiority.

Presently Snape entered, looking curiously at Sirius and Wormtail standing opposite each other and at the black cage holding Harry and Arabella. He strided speedily to the farther wall, followed by a host of other Death Eaters, among them Mundungus Fletcher, Lucius and Draco Malfoy and several other old 'friends' from Hogwarts whom Sirius had witnessed turning their backs on Dumbledore for a chance to acquire some smidgen of power. Sirius eyed them distastefully as they entered in their dozens, silently lining up against the walls of the cavern. Voldemort turned to them, raising his hands pompously.

"My Loyal servants! Today I shall accomplish what Salazar Slytherin never could, and you shall be honoured to behold my triumph. Each of you shall be generously rewarded for your services as promised, after we follow our loyal minions into battle and retake the home and riches of my ancestor that have heretofore been impounded by that Mudblood-loving fool, Albus Dumbledore. Even now, the Dementos of Azkaban are marching toward Hogwarts. They only await our glorious arrival. With the power of the Penna Potissimus behind us, we will not fail!… Now, Wormtail, give him Potter's wand!"

Sirius had only a moment to register his astonishment as Wormtail tossed Harry's wand to him, for no sooner did he catch it than his opponent knocked him off his feet with the Cruciatus Curse. Cursing profusely, Sirius leapt up and pointed the slender gold-streaked magical instrument at Wormtail, who clumsily gripped the Dark Lord's wand in his hand. This was the moment Sirius had been waiting for, the opportunity to wreak vengeance on the man who had destroyed all his hopes of a blissful life with Arabella, the man who had betrayed his best friend and restored an evil wizard to his seat of power. He didn't want it to end too quickly, so with the sole intention of causing his opponent as much pain as possible, Sirius stepped forward intimidatingly and roared, "Crucio!" The curse shot out of Harry's wand at amazing speed, taking Sirius by surprise. He smiled in satisfaction, however, as Wormtail fell to the ground, his struggled comeback refusing to surface. 

Clutching his body in pain, and for the moment quite defenceless, Wormtail was unaware of the other man approaching his prone form with true murderous intent written on his face. Sirius stealthily stepped up to the pathetic wizard simpering on the ground, ready to deliver the final curse, but the irritating voice of his conscience caused him to hesitate. His arm wavered as Harry's indignant voice echoed in his mind, "I don't reckon my Dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers-just for Pettigrew". How could he ignore Harry's wishes, which would undoubtedly have been shared by his father? Harry and James could be wretchedly moral at times, unknowingly causing their friends to feel shamefully unprincipled, but Sirius was inclined to believe that in such matters as these they were usually right. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake himself so quickly of the obsession that had consumed his days in Azkaban. T_he rat betrayed us all. 'Because of him I spent twelve years in this awful place…_

_ _

It was all too easy finding reasons for killing Wormtail, as Sirius realised suddenly, but that didn't justify doing it. Killing an unarmed and defenceless man just didn't seem right. It was dishonourable. _Geez. I hope all those years in prison didn't make me soft! What am I doing? Kill him!_

Wormtail was looking pleadingly up at him with his slate grey eyes, waiting for a swift death and apparently showing some courage at long last. Noticing Sirius' inner turmoil, a glimmer of understanding passed over his face and he sat up slowly, almost timidly. Sirius said nothing, but lowered his wand and slumped away feeling strangely drained. He realised that the Death Eaters were talking animatedly, but he didn't turn around. Voldemort's high, cold voice pierced the gloom as he screamed at Wormtail.

"You fool! Attack him now! Watch him closely for the timing…"

Confused, Sirius turned around only to realise that Wormtail was pointing Voldemort's wand directly at him. Sirius glared at him in disbelief, his amazement shortly being replaced by a look of extreme hatred and revulsion.

"You evil, conniving little git! I let you live!"

Pettigrew quailed before his anger but did not lower his wand. He retreated a few steps guiltily and for a tiny flickering moment seemed to be considering running away, but his fear of Lord Voldemort granted him the resolve he lacked.

"I'm sorry, Sirius…Crucio!"

This time, Sirius was prepared, and with an almightly rage surging through his veins yelled, "Expelliarmus!" The two curses hit in mid-air and Sirius instinctively ducked, waiting for the curse to ricochet at an unpredictable angle, however something quite unexpected occurred. A tremendous surge travelled down the wand to his wrists, and as Sirius looked down in dawning comprehension at the willowy instrument shaking in his grip a brilliant gold band suddenly sprang across the void connecting the two wands, splintering off at intervals to form a gigantic gold cage shutting them off from the intrigued onlookers. The serene melody of phoenix song burst through the air, as the reverse spell effect asserted itself. In that instant, Voldemort's words made sense. _Timing…He's trying to invoke Priori Incantatem…'But why?…'And why didn't he just duel with Harry again?…_

Wormtail's terrified face greeted him from the opposite end of the golden ray, his hand shaking madly under the pressure. Harry's wand, however, now became perfectly steady, returning the gold pulses of light that travelled along the beam back to Voldemort's wand with perfect ease. It felt remarkably cool to the touch, which was surprising since Sirius could feel the sweat running down his back. As he peered through the cage, Sirius could discern Voldemort approaching the edge of the enclosure, holding a wand point to the gold crossbars, apparently waiting, his eyes glinting maliciously through a gold square. The shaking in Wormtail's wand became more pronounced and he looked wildly around for his master's assistance. The small pulses that had been travelling between the two wands had merged into a single bead that was rapidly approaching Wormtail's wand. Just a bit farther…It wasn't very difficult…Suddenly, the bead connected with Voldemort's wand, which began to emit echoing screams of pain. Sirius was certain it would shatter… The noise of the phoenix song grew louder in his ears and with it his awareness that whatever he was doing, he was winning. On the other side of the cage he could see Voldemort's lips moving from behind his borrowed wand. What was he saying?…Wormtail's wand was screaming deafeningly. Soon it would all be over, but suddenly something else happened.

The gold cage surrounding Sirius and Wormtail vanished completely, and all around them were Death Eaters. As a smoky, silvery form began to emerge from Voldemort's wand in Wormtail's trembling hand, he heard the Dark Lord cry out a foreign incantation.

"Agito porto sempiternos!"

The dazzling gold beam connecting the wands quickly branched off into the fire, which immediately erupted in bright blue flames, and then died away leaving only the eery azure corona of the fire. Rising out of the flames was a silver mass, gradually gaining depth and colour. It was growing and adopting a more definite form, almost hand-like in appearance…

Sirius watched in awe as Wormtail's silver hand floated upward and came to rest on the ground before the fire. If this was the reverse spell effect, he thought distractedly, then it was not occuring as Harry had described it. 

Another form was beginning to rise out of the blue fire, and it certainly didn't require a greater intellect than Sirius' to knew what to expect. As the athletic body of a young man stepped forward, Sirius was amazed by the resemblance to his old schoolmate Amos Diggory. Handsome and muscular, Cedric began to stride around the outer rim of the fire with his long legs, apparently looking for Harry and Voldemort.

"Expelliarmis!"

Without warning, Harry's wand shot out of Sirius' hand and, as he followed its swift course through the air, he saw that the Dark Lord had retrieved his own wand from his servant. Silently reproaching himself for not having used the wand to escape while he had the chance, Sirius took a moment to analyse the situation. It wasn't looking good. Harry and Arabella were trapped inside some strange black cage, Ron was standing in a mass of Death Eaters by the wall, and he, the great Sirius Black, was wandless. Sure, Snape might be able to help them escape, but surrounded on all sides as they were, even this seemed impossible.

Voldemort's outrageous plan was becoming apparent. If he could invoke Priori Incantatem there would be nothing to stop him from speaking to Lily and James; they were bound to appear soon, and Voldemort needed Lily to transfer the charm to Ron. _'But won't they just disappear after a minute like last time? They won't have long enough to do it. Besides, there's no way James and Lily will agree to do this if it will kill Harry. He must know that…_

The plump figure of Bertha Jorkins emerged from the blue fire, looking around for the duellers and looking very confused. Shaking her head sadly she joined the old Muggle who was leaning nearby on a walking stick surveying the situation.

Sirius knew who would be next. What would he say to them? More importantly, what would _they_ say to _him_? Would they blame him for his failures as a godfather? A sudden hush of expectation fell on the crowded room and Sirius began to feel panic building up in the pit of his stomach. This was all happening too fast. He longed to slow time down, just for a moment, to give him time to think about what he would say to Lily and James. _So many things…_

A silvery feminine form was growing in the flames, her long hair visible from Sirius' position. _Oh, God. Lily…_ Already her hair was turning red, her skin was turning pink, her robes… Those emerald robes… She had worn them to Moony's birthday party two weeks ago. _Two weeks before she died, Padfoot…_She was standing upright in the fire, tall and erect with the blue flames licking her body harmlessly, so lifelike... Was she alive? She was achingly close, close enough to touch, and appeared perfectly solid, not at all ghost-like. Gazing around with her dazzling hazel eyes, Lily bore a greater resemblance to her Gryffindor ancestor than Sirius had ever registered. She presented an ethereal vision of such heavenly beauty, such sublime nobility, as to appear separated from some divine legend. Sirius was captivated by her tragic figure, rendered all the more impressive and dreamlike from her martyrdom, and found it surprisingly difficult to remind himself that _it was just Lily._ Swallowing nervously and feeling a blush rising inexplicably in his face, Sirius offered her his hand, which he saw was shaking uncontrollably. Lily smiled warmly at him and accepted it, stepping closely up to him and looking deep in his face.

"Sirius," her voice had a strange hollowness to it, as if coming from a great distance, "are you here to protect Harry?"

"I-I'm sorry, Lily-"

"For what? I see no reason to apologise…"

"I failed you. I told you to change to Peter. Harry had to be raised by Muggles, when it should have been me who-who…"

"You've never failed me, Sirius, and you're protecting Harry now, as I always knew you would. I'm very proud of you. Thank you."

Sirius' eyes were burning and he couldn't speak, not that he wanted to. He was afraid that if he spoke everything might change and Lily would be yelling at him for being such a terrible Secret Keeper. He didn't want to ruin the moment especially since, in one short speech, Lily had said everything he had longed to hear since that fateful day of her death. It was best to say no more. Lily seemed to understand and, giving his hand a final squeeze, she turned to the fire where her husband was already standing and smiling at them.

"'Padfoot being a sentimental twit again?"

Ludicrously enough, Sirius burst into laughter, with the hot tears streaming down his face in torrents and torn between the urge to dance for joy and to throw himself down in misery. James hopped out of the fire and embraced him brotherly, the familiar sensation driving a host of happy memories through Sirius' mind. It was as if James and Lily had never been gone, and Sirius gripped his old friend tightly, wishing above all else that the moment could last forever, that they weren't standing in a cave at Azkaban full of Death Eaters, and that a year from now he and James could still be hugging. Sirius held his eyes firmly shut to blot out the painful reality, aware only of the rough texture of James' cloak against his damp cheek and the maddening knowledge that the hand rubbing his back belonged to his long-dead best friend. Silently thanking James for not pulling away, Sirius held fast to him, his former intention of expressing his grief verbally now seeming quite unnecessary. It was so pleasant to stand here, inhaling James' familiar scent, reminiscent of fresh coffee and scones. There was only one being who could interrupt this miraculous and seemingly unlikely reunion…

_Voldemort._

_ _

A/N: I'm very sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I want the last few parts to be good and so have enlisted the assistance of the excellent Coqui (Thank you so much!), who kindly agreed to beta-read this chapter. It was definitely worth the wait (believe me, it was! I never realised how terrible my grammar and punctuation were until now! ) and I hope it has whetted your appetite for the next chapter, in which Lily and James face their killer. Will they give in to his demands? Um, I'm not saying. Please don't forget to review, and offer suggestions, criticisms, death threats etc! Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last part:

**Rufus:** I know the last part was confusing, mainly because I didn't have a clue what this part would be about! Sorry you're sick, but maybe this will cheer you up a little, or am I just having delusions of talent again? That must be it. Oh well! I try… Unfortunately I wasn't able to review the last part of your series; I didn't even know it was posted and was lucky to find it about a week later, but I really loved it. That was so funny, Harry walking around Hogwarts as a panther for ages and nobody even guessing it was him. LOL. I'm delighted you're writing a sequel.

**Dumbledore: **(makes a drooling Homer Simpson voice) Ummmmm, Pistacio…. Ice cream sandwiches….

**Amanda Mancini**: Please tell me you're not confused now! I tried to explain that ending in this part, I really did…

**Sailorcelestial:** Hey, thanks! Hopefully, there'll be more Draco before the end. I only just discovered Cassandra Claire's famous stories and have fallen in love with them. It's wonderful the way she portrays him, horrible and yet lovable. I know I could never hope to emulate her work, but at least it has inspired me to consider including him. Also, thanks for the fish! 

**California Love: **I'm really really sorry for making you wait as I gather from you're "review" telling me to "hurry up" that you were anticipating it. I'm flattered you want to read this so badly, but you really need to chill! I just checked out your author page. Are you prolific, or what?! I'll make sure to sign that petition you mentioned…

**PEZ**: I'm sorry you didn't get your Authoralerts. I hate it when that happens. As you can see, Harry is in a decidedly bad situation, but you know I wouldn't have included that Penna thing if not to let him use it against his arch nemesis…

***cocacola*:** Sorry for the heart attack. Hopefully this part won't be so upsetting.

**Adelina: **Thanks for reviewing again. In the next part you'll see what happens to Ron. Sorry I had to make him do that to Harry! Don't worry. He's still innocent and cute. I'm sure he didn't mean it. It was that damn Voldemort again. Somebody really should give him a good slap across the face. 

**Nameless:** No, don't worry. Snape isn't evil. He's just caught in a bad situation and can't show that he 's a good guy for fear of being seen by Voldemort. He was actually hiding with Arabella and Ron outside the cavern in the last chapter but Voldie, clever guy that he is, sensed his presence and told him to come in. I'm sure Voldie also knows perfectly well what Snape's agenda is. He's probably just stringing him along for his own profit. Well, you'll see later…

**someone2** : Sorry this took a while. I hope it was worth the wait. It might have been longer but for some impatient people!

**Nagh:** LOL. Great, but totally confusing, huh? Yeah, that seems to be the general concensus! Sorry, my bad…I hope this is less confusing.

**name:** Oh you poor poor thing. I hope that physics homework didn't leave you too educated! Well, this part is longer than the last so perhaps it will help you delay having to do anymore.

**Belle M. :** Thank you so much. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

**Harry's Crush: **Yes, Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! is one way of putting it! I've got to stop writing cliffhangers, I just can't help it. They're awful to read, but so much fun to write. Anyway, thanks for reviewing again.

**Rede: **Great! Reviewing is working again! Thanks again for letting me know about that and for reviewing again. It's good to know I haven't completely lost the plot!

**Dunno: **Nope, as you know now Voldie can't force Harry to transfer the Fidelius Charm to Ron. Only Lily can do that. This will be the main issue of the next chapter, i.e. will she agree to it? Obviously not, unless Voldemort threatens to do something terrible if she doesn't. Thanks for saying my fic is getting better as the climax is always the most difficult part to write and I really don't want to make a mess of it.

**~tiger_eyes~: **Ah, my first negative review. Well, I had to get one sooner or later! I think my ridiculously long email answers your questions. I hope it wasn't too boring!

**OrcaPotter**: Thanks for taking the time to catch up on all the chapters. If it had been me, I probably would have just said, "Ah, to hell with it. I'll just go read something good!". I'll continue to try to live up to your expectations. Anyway, thanks for reviewing again.

**Harry's mum lily: **So good of you to review. This isn't exactly in the same league as your fic, but I'm learning a lot from it. The Dark Sigil is just, well, breathtaking for its style and erudition. I can't wait for the next part.

**Ryuu kaze: **Sorry if these chapters are coming out too fast. To be honest, I keep letting myself get rushed by impatient reviewers and so I upload as quickly as I can and don't bother to edit. That's why I took my time on this chapter. Don't worry about my killing Sirius. It'll never happen. And thank you for reviewing again!

Pleiades.


	17. Chapter XVII

Disclaimer: All characters, concepts etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.

# The Secret Keeper

Chapter XVII

The glowing black bars of the enchanted cage burned remorselessly against Harry's pale skin as he struggled to catch even a fleeting glimpse of his parents, who were now standing at the opposite end of the cavern and embracing Sirius warmly. He felt weak and light-headed from the deadly poison and the loss of blood, but somehow had managed to grapple on to consciousness long enough to witness this beautiful, heart-rending moment. It was imperative that he remain awake and absorb as much detail about his parents' appearances as possible. One of the most painful aspects of his previous meeting with them had been that the memory had slipped away so quickly, leaving only a vague impression of feeling loved and protected. He had since longed for another opportunity to memorise every inch of their figures so that he would never again be chilled by the realisation that he had wasted such a rare and valuable gift. However, the more he tried to control the drooping of his eyelids and the sagging of his shoulders, the more difficult it became. He could feel the poison moving slowly through his body, increasing the aches left by the Cruciatus curse ten-fold. His strength was steadily ebbing away and he began to wonder if this would be the last thing he ever saw in life: the image of his parents granting Sirius the absolution he had so yearned for.

Shifting in frustration at being able only to discern their backs as the three figures huddled together in a friendly hug, Harry selfishly willed his parents to turn away from Sirius and notice him. He stared at them closely, hardly daring to blink lest the vision might come to an end. He leaned ever closer against the walls of his cubic prison until the hot poles left raw imprints against the sides of his face, so desperate was he to widen his field of view. Unfortunately, Lord Voldemort chose that exact moment to position Wormtail directly in front of him, concealing his parents almost entirely from his hungry gaze. Harry heard Arabella whimper sympathetically behind him and felt her hand on his shoulder drawing him gently but firmly away from the edge of the cell. Harry sighed in resignation and sat down, wincing at the immediate sharp pain in his back.

Wormtail's mismatched hands were fidgeting nervously behind his back, twitching at his loose grey robes. Evidently the prospect of a reunion with the Potters was making him very uncomfortable. Harry glanced up from his reclined position on the floor and noticed that the string binding the glass phial of antidote to Pettigrew's neck was dangling teasingly down his back within just a few feet of the cage, achingly close. Ron nodded glumly at his friend, as though privy to his thoughts. It was just too far away. 

Harry could just make out the dim forms of Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce standing uncertainly near the silent crowd of Death Eaters. His parents were hidden a short distance to their left. If only he could see them…

Harry raised himself wearily as he saw Lord Voldemort approach his parents. The sound of his father's voice, so like his own, was unmistakable in the gloom.

"What is going on here, Voldemort? If you lay a finger on my son, I swear I'll-"

"What? I doubt you could do very much. Perhaps you haven't noticed but this room is filled with my loyal Death Eaters, who have sworn to protect me, with their lives if necessary. But fear not! I won't be laying a finger on Harry. I'll leave that to you and your pretty little wife."

"What do you want with us?" Lily's voice spoke boldly in the silence.

"Simple. I understand you have something of a gift for the ancient spells, and that you placed the Fidelius charm on your son to conceal the Penna Potissimus from me. All I ask is that you transfer the charm to a new Secret Keeper. I have the ideal subject for you."

"You know I'd never do that!" Lily demanded crossly.

"Yes, I suspected some degree of reluctance. That's why I made Harry drink Todis potion. Wormtail here has the antidote-"

Lily quickly became silent, but eyed her husband's old friend murderously. James, however, fixed Pettigrew with his warm gaze and smiled knowingly.

"Is that supposed to be a threat? As if Peter would obey you! Its ridiculous," James cried. 

Pettigrew shifted noticeably backward, so that his legs emitted a noise like static electricity as they brushed against the black bars in front of Harry. James winked meaningfully at him and motioned at the phial tied around his neck.

"How wonderful to see you, Wormtail, my old friend," he began, "I should have known you'd be here with Sirius to protect Harry."

A stunned silence ensued, in which Voldemort sat back on his throne, smiling in satisfaction. James nodded vigorously from the phial to Harry's cage, apparently unaware of the tension mounting in the cavern, until finally he roared, "Now, Peter!" and whipped out his wand in readiness. Wormtail, however, did not rush to deliver the antidote to James' son, but darted aside, out of the range of the other man's wand. The Dark Lord's sneers echoed off the stone walls and presently they were joined by the half-hearted sniggers of his servants. James lowered his wand in confusion and turned questioningly to Sirius.

"He's not here with me, James," Sirius stated quietly and, carefully emphasising every syllable, added, "He betrayed you."

At these three simple words, an eerie silence descended upon the room and the shadows on the floor seemed to lengthen. Harry remained frozen in his hunched position, waiting for his father's reaction. _I always assumed he knew about Pettigrew when he died. _

_ _

"Peter?… I always thought Remus, but, no, it never seemed right… I never believed, though, that…Peter!" James stuttered, with anger rising in his voice.

_ _

Wormtail darted behind his master's throne, and Harry saw his parents clearly. It was incredible. They looked so solid, not at all like the ghostly echoes who had helped him escape from the graveyard in Little Hangleton over a month ago. Lily and James Potter stood before him with all the richness, colour and texture of living beings, and Harry was impressed at the formidable figure of his father standing erect before Lord Voldemort and not betraying any hint of fear, if indeed it existed. James was standing perfectly still, apparently struggling to digest the latest revelation concerning his death. 

Harry could understand his father's disbelief. It must have been agony for him to live in the knowledge that one of his friends was betraying him to the Dark Lord, but never knowing whom to blame. Had he been told that it was Remus Lupin who had led Voldemort to his home, he would probably have been just as stunned. He knew that his father must have been very close to his three friends. The way Sirius' face seemed to radiate with happiness whenever he was reminded of his mischievous schooldays with the marauders, or the memory of the warmth and gratitude in Remus Lupin's voice as he had retold the story of his friends becoming animagi to render his transformations less painful, was proof enough of that. Harry hoped that _he_ would never have to suspect Ron or Hermione of such a terrible deed. It would be more than he could bear to think of them, or anyone he cared about, acting surreptitiously behind his back.

Lily Potter looked just as beautiful as in the photograph of her wedding, with dazzling emerald eyes and long red hair, but her gentle features were twisted with loathing and deep suspicion as she placed a restraining hand on her husband's arm, trying to calm his obvious growing rage. She gently took his wand and stowed it inside his robes for fear of his doing something that might provoke Lord Voldemort into hurting Harry.

She whispered soothingly in his ear, "James love, it's in the past. There are more important things to worry about now. Harry needs us-"

James was not listening.

"How could you, Peter? I was a good friend to you…" he demanded hotly.

"James, I-I-I don't care what you-you think! I was only being a-a-a loyal and d-dedicated servant of the Dark Lord."

"You're despicable!" James roared, reaching inside his robes.

There was a sudden commotion as the Death Eaters all drew their own wands and pointed them at Harry's father. James did not withdraw his wand, but remained perfectly still, staring at his former friend as if challenging him to a battle of wills. Wormtail, however, was unable to hold his gaze for very long, and quickly moved to place Harry's cage between them. James glared hatefully at him before looking down at the languid face of his son, who was now sitting with his back supported against Arabella.

"Harry! Are you alright?"

As James looked directly at him, Harry felt a curious warmth spread throughout his body, filling him with renewed strength. He gasped in surprise and sat upright, his eyes travelling down the length of his father's body and noticing everything from the smoothness of his skin to the slightness of his figure. _An ideal Quidditch physique._ His pupils moved upward again and his heart thumped in astonishment as he realised that his father was watching him expectantly, still waiting for an answer, and that he was smiling broadly.

"Harry?"

"Um, yes. I'm okay," Harry replied brokenly. _Should I call him "Dad," or James?_

_ _

James Potter was watching him in fascination, taking in the familiar unruly black hair and the lightening bolt-shaped scar just visible beneath the fringe on his forehead. Harry seemed lost in a whirlwind of emotions. His eyes looked both exhausted and alert, as his mind struggled with the conflicting desires to lie down and blot out the pain or to stay awake and savour the chance to meet his parents before he died.

"It'll be alright, Harry. Your mother knows what she's doing… "

His eyes moved to Arabella.

"'Bella! You look kind of pretty in that cage, you know. Don't _you_ agree, Sirius?"

"James!" Lily uttered warningly.

"This is hardly the time to play matchmaker, Prongs," Sirius grumbled, blushing.

"You're right, I suppose. Finite incantatem!"

The cage surrounding Arabella, Ron and Harry dissolved promptly. Voldemort made no effort to restore it, but when James and Lily began to approach their son, he pointed his wand menacingly at Harry.

"That's close enough! He'll be dead soon, so we need to come to an agreement quickly if you want to save him. Wormtail here, as you can see, is in possession of a certain glass phial containing the antidote to the Todis potion, a difficult concoction that only a potions master as experienced as Severus Snape could hope to brew."

James winced visibly at the mention of his old nemesis and glanced darkly at Sirius.

"Yes, Severus still serves me, although I sometimes have to question his sincerity. Now, if you want to give your son the antidote, you will agree to my demands. Lily Potter, you will transfer the charm to the Weasley boy, making him the Secret Keeper for the Penna Potissimus."

"Why? If you want the Penna, why not make yourself the Secret Keeper?" Lily asked innocently.

"And let you turn your wand on me? I don't think so! Now, do we have an agreement, or not?"

"How can I trust you? You're not exactly known for keeping your word-"

"I don't see that you have any choice but to trust me. However, I can see you have doubts concerning the extent of my power over you. Otherwise you would not presume to question me in this manner. Perhaps you need a little reminder. Crucio!"

Harry leapt up as his mother screamed and collapsed to the floor in pain. He tried to run to her, but it was no use. His legs refused to support his weight and the world began to spin around him. He fell heavily on his knees and gripped his back, waiting for the mist that was clouding his vision to clear, all the while cursing Voldemort under his breath. He felt Ron's grip on his arm, a useless gesture since there was no way he could stand up again with or without his friend's support, but it was comforting to know that, for once, he was not in this alone. Ron sank down beside him, apparently too contrite to say anything.

"It's not your fault, Ron. He made you do it," Harry stated simply.

"We've got to do something-"

"I can't do anything like this. Can you see my wand anywhere?"

_ _

"I think it's on the throne. Harry, could you use this Penna thing to get us out of here? It sounds pretty powerful…"

"Maybe, but I don't have it-"

"Well, where is it? You're supposed to know, if you're the Secret Keeper…"

"I know where it is, but I can't tell you. Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone, even you…"

"Is there any way you could get it? I mean, it's not somewhere on the opposite side of the world, is it?"

"No, it's here. That's all I can tell you."

"Well, look. What if we let You-Know-Who make me the Secret Keeper? When I know where it is, I can give it to you instead of him, and you can use it to get us out of here…"

"No, it wouldn't work. You'd be under the Imperius spell. You'd have to give it to him-"

"Then, what?!" Ron blurted out, "I've already stabbed you in the back. I don't want to be responsible for killing all the Muggles in the world too!"

"Just calm down, Ron! It's not over yet," Harry explained wearily, "I'm sure my Mum won't give in without a fight."

"Look, no offence or anything, Harry, but she's dead-"

"I don't think she is. She looks real enough. Last time it was different; they looked like ghosts, but now…"

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't get your hopes up. You-Know-Who can't have brought her back to life; it's impossible."

"If she's not alive then why did she feel that curse?"

"I don't know-"

Ron stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed that Wormtail was standing behind Harry, eavesdropping on their conversation. Voldemort had risen from his throne and was speaking with Lily, James and Sirius. Harry looked around at Pettigrew. The pain in his back had lessened somewhat after his short rest, but he gazed hungrily at the small bottle hanging around the wizard's neck. Pettigrew seemed characteristically nervous. He glanced over at his master and back at Harry before speaking in a hushed tone, afraid of being heard.

"It's the fire," he stated simply.

"What about it?" Harry enquired gruffly.

"It's keeping them here. They're alive, but only while the fire is lit. He'll extinguish it when he gets what he wants."

"They're alive?" Harry asked, his eyes open in wonder.

"Harry, you can't believe a word he says," Ron reminded him quietly, "Remember who you're talking to here."

Wormtail ignored him and looked around while he continued to speak.

"They _are_ alive, but it's only temporary. There's nothing you can do. They can't stay-"

"Wormtail! Come here!" a cold voice hissed, interrupting their conversation.

Pettigrew jumped in fright before hurrying to Lord Voldemort's side. Harry felt Ron's eyes watching his face, no doubt trying to discern the multitude of thoughts that were running through his head. His parents were alive. Really alive. This couldn't be temporary. He had to do something. He had to keep them here, and ensure that those blue flames never died out. He wouldn't give in while there was a chance of bringing his parents back to life. He would fight. Filled with sudden determination and hidden strength, Harry climbed to his feet, brushing away his friend's offer of support, and scanned the room for his wand. _There!_ His golden-tinged wand was lying on the red upholstery of Voldemort's throne, along with three others. If only he could just walk over and take it! But no, he had to be careful not to draw attention to his wand lest Voldemort connect it with the Penna. This was just like Quidditch, Harry thought presently; classic diversionary tactics: feign disinterest in the snitch to prevent the opposing seeker from noticing it and then, suddenly, soar towards it, take it in your hand and fly over the wildly applauding crowd. He just had to be patient and bide his time, provided the poison in his system didn't kill him first…

***

Remus conjured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, looking gloomily around the old room. There was a time when he would have savoured every minute he spent in Godric's Hollow, the former home of Godric Gryffindor himself. It wasn't so much the opportunity of visiting the abode of the heroic founder of his Hogwarts house, as the invitation to spend time with James, Lily and Harry that had held so much appeal for him. This had always felt much more like home than his rundown cottage in the mountains, with its broken furniture and dusty floors. It was just nice to be surrounded by happy people, especially when they made you feel so welcome. He and Sirius had practically lived at Godric's Hollow during their years as aurors, rarely returning to their own houses. It had eventually reached the point that Lily had had two rooms set aside for them on a permanent basis, labelled, "Moony", and "Padfoot". He could still remember the night when James had shown them Lily's quaint artwork on their bedroom doors. How they had laughed… It was still there.

Peter had been a less frequent visitor to the house and, looking back, Remus wondered if that was how they had drifted apart. Perhaps if they had spent more time with him things might have been different. It had always been that way, however: James and Sirius, he and Sirius, he and James, and then Peter, who was nobody's friend in particular. He just seemed to tag along. If it hadn't been for James admitting him to their clique, he probably wouldn't have had any friends at Hogwarts at all. But then, James had always had a soft spot for other people. He hated to see anyone being left out, such was his generous nature. It had therefore been the most natural thing in the world for him to befriend the short, chubby boy who always needed his teacher to assign him a partner in Potions when none were forthcoming. _Poor James. Killed by his innate sense of goodness._

_ _

Remus supposed it had been the same with Mundungus Fletcher. He had been one of only four Slytherin members of the Order of the Phoenix and, as such, had been more or less ostracized by the other members, the vast majority of whom were Gryffindors. James had responded to his colleagues' coldness to the other man by befriending him and making a conscious effort to include him in their efforts to undermine the enemy. It wasn't long before there was a dramatic shift in peoples' attitudes toward the Slytherins, and Fletcher in particular, such was the degree of respect and esteem in which James was held.

It was incomprehensible then that a man so entirely selfless could have been betrayed by two of his closest friends and, although James was no longer alive to be hurt by this painful fact, it still made Remus furious. He couldn't bear to think that the kindness James had bestowed on the world had been for nothing. Nor could he understand the mentality that would accept such generosity and then betray its donor. This was something Remus had spent a lot of time trying to figure out since Lily and James had died, but with very limited success. He did not think it likely he would work it out now, while sipping coffee in the kitchen of Godric's Hollow, either.

Dumbledore had sent him to the house hours ago, telling him to wait in the living room, but it had been too chilly to stay in there any longer. Remus wondered what he was supposed to be waiting for, and why he wasn't making his way to Azkaban with the other members of the Order of the Phoenix to rescue Harry, Sirius and Arabella. Dumbledore could be cruelly mysterious at times, Remus thought distractedly, grinning in spite of himself. How long had it been, anyway? Automatically glancing up at the clock, Remus' mouth opened in shock and he leapt to his feet, for next to James' and Lily's names, instead of the usual, "deceased," that had remained frozen in place over the last fifteen years, were the words, "in mortal peril". Remus' mug dropped swiftly to the floor and smashed, the coffee seeping unchecked into the stone and staining it a deep brown. It was a full ten minutes before he regained his composure and returned to the living room to wait for Albus Dumbledore.

***

Lord Voldemort swung around as Harry approached his parents, looking surprisingly well for someone who had been cursed and poisoned to what should have been the verge of death. Voldemort extended his wand and snarled at the boy.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stand over there? Crucio!"

Harry had been expecting this, however, and quickly jumped aside, avoiding the curse, before sulkily moving back a few paces as instructed. At least now he was close enough to hear what was being said.

"Well, Potter? Will you transfer the charm, or not?"

"What's the point? The Fidelius Charm is keeping him alive. If I remove it, he could die before receiving the antidote, if you even fulfilled your part of the deal," Lily calmly pointed out.

"He will not live long. Severus has fully researched the Todis potion. The Fidelius Charm cannot block it indefinitely. I am perfectly willing to make Wormtail give him the antidote, however, which _will_ save his life."

"Give it to him now, before I remove the charm, and I give you my word I will do as you ask," she offered.

"I know enough of your cunning to have more sense than to agree to _that_. I have waited long enough! What will it be?"

"I need a moment to consider. Will you allow me to speak to Harry before I decide?"

Voldemort eyed her suspiciously, but relented and walked over to his throne, taking the four wands in his hand. Harry watched him in terror, afraid that he might recognise the Penna incorporated in his own wand, and did not notice his mother calling him to her until Sirius took his arm and began to lead him over. Harry walked forward, but glanced back over his shoulder at the Dark Lord, who thankfully did not seem to have realised the awesome power within his grip. Sirius was speaking to him.

"…and this isn't so bad, really, Harry, because James and Lily are here, and there's nobody better to fight You-Know-Who. I'm sure Lily's thinking up a plan at this very moment…"

"Yeah... I just wish Ron didn't have to get caught up in all of this, and you and Arabella. I could kill him for coming after me when I told him not to. How on earth did you find me?"

"I figured you would have headed north…and then I found your watch so I knew you couldn't be far. Here it is."

Sirius handed him his battered old watch and smiled sadly at the Potters.

"Well, I'll leave you three alone."

"Thanks, Padfoot," James began, barely able to lift his eyes from his son, "I think Arabella could do with some comforting, you know!…"

"Geez, fifteen years later and you still won't let me forget that!" Sirius moaned as he walked away.

Harry watched after him, wondering what Sirius was referring to, and making a mental note to ask him about it later. He then turned to face his parents. It felt strange, actually seeing them close up, kind of like meeting his life-long heroes and realising that they were just human afterall. His mind seemed to have gone blank and he just stood in front of them, smiling awkwardly and feeling very small. All the questions he had ever had about them were wiped clean from his memory, from the origin of James' invisibility cloak to the reasons behind his becoming his particular species of animagus to asking pretty much anything about his mother. As curious as he was about their lives, he had always been equally desperate to tell them about himself, to ask if they were proud of him and to find out if he really _was_ as similar to his father as everybody said he was. However, these long-considered issues no longer seemed important now that Lily and James Potter were standing before him in the flesh. Instead, he looked slowly from his mother to his father and just relished in the knowledge that, for that single precious moment, he was standing next to them. 

Lily and James seemed to be having the same problems with their speech, and simply gazed at their son in wonder until finally the emotion became too much for Lily and she pulled her family into a tight hug. Harry found it difficult to control the watering in his eyes and the shaking in his limbs at this instant. He had no memory of ever having experienced an embrace quite like this, with his mother sobbing audibly into his hair and his father repeatedly rubbing his hand up and down his spine, trying to calm the incessant wracking of his shoulders as he vented fourteen years of repressed pain and sorrow. Harry no longer cared that at least four-dozen pairs of eyes were trained upon him. He let the hot tears flow readily down his cheeks and gripped onto his parents' bodies with all his might. Nothing else mattered. Between gasps he heard his voice, foreign and uninhibited, crying out to them, "Mum, Dad…" and at intervals was aware of his parents whispering near his ear, "We love you, Harry…We've missed you so much…" Harry felt like he would choke on the grief and happiness that was struggling to escape his body at these words, and he clung ever tighter to his mother and father, thirstily drinking in the affection that was emanating from their bodies.

Something was pulling them away from him. It began as a slight tension in his arms, gradually increasing as he held on with greater force, until he realised with a start that his parents were moving backwards, propelled against their will by a superior power. The magic ended and reality crashed brutally into Harry's consciousness. All around him the Death Eaters were laughing cruelly and pointing at him, while Voldemort was lazing in his enormous throne and watching him with a bemused expression.

"I said you could talk, now talk! Enough of this sentimental display!"

James and Lily ignored Voldemort and returned to Harry's side to discuss the dire situation.

"I'm going to agree to his terms, Harry. We can't risk anything happening to you," Lily stated clearly, not meeting her husband's eyes.

James said nothing, but watched Harry for his reaction.

"No, Mum, you can't do that! You heard what he said about the Penna. It would make him the most powerful wizard in the world!"

"He's right, Lily," James said, "We can't give the Penna to him."

Lily was silent for a moment. Presently she looked at Harry and he thought he saw a glimmer of triumph in her emerald eyes. She turned to her husband, while speaking to Harry.

"What time is it, Harry?" she asked, with the beginnings of a sly smile creeping over her mouth.

Harry gaped at her, uncomprehending, as he pulled up his sleeve to examine his damaged watch.

"It…doesn't…work…"

"Ah…" James muttered, "Clever…"

"What?" Harry stuttered.

Lily turned away from him and addressed Lord Voldemort.

"Very well, we agree, if you swear you will give Harry the antidote."

"I swear," Voldemort replied, his eyes glinting maliciously.

"Wait! I haven't agreed to this!" Harry shouted, but everyone just ignored him.

Harry looked wildly at his parents and his eyes opened wide in fear. Clearly they had some kind of plan in mind, but he had no idea what it was. He watched as James walked casually over to Sirius and spoke quietly to him, his lips barely moving. Sirius nodded in understanding and motioned for Harry to join him.

"You have your wand?" asked the Dark Lord.

"Yes," Lily replied.

Lily reached into her robes and took out her wand; the one that Harry had been told was excellent for Charm work. He hoped that Mr. Ollivander had been wrong in this affirmation, since if his mother was really planning to transfer the Fidelius Charm to Ron then Harry was certain he wouldn't have very long to live, nor indeed would the entire Muggle population of the world. He raised anxious eyes to Sirius, who simply looked blankly back at him. _Damn. What are they going to do?_

"Dad? What's going-"

"Shhh. Just trust your mother, Harry. She was always the smartest girl in school. I'm sure she knows what she's doing…"

"Don't you know what she's doing?"

"Um, I have an idea. What's your best subject in school, Harry?"

"I don't know, probably Defence Against the Dark Arts, or Quidditch, if that counts as a subject. Why? What's this got to do with anything?"

"Mine was transfiguration," James explained with a smile.

Without warning, James discretely took hold of Harry's wrist and turned him around so that they were concealed from Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

"Let me see that watch of yours," he whispered.

Harry dumbly extended his arm and lifted up the cuffs of his robes. James quickly held his wand tip to the face of the timepiece and his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Right…Morpho!"

Harry's eyes opened wide in astonishment as his watch began to change form. The strap was shrinking and rising to the front of his wrist. The blackness of the leather was disappearing to be replaced by a bright golden colour, and the texture was changing. Harry could no longer feel the smooth, warm leather against his skin; instead, something soft and downy was growing in its wake. _A feather!_ Harry barely had a moment to register his surprise before his father pulled his sleeve back down over the golden feather to conceal it. _What is it for, though? _

_ _

Presently Wormtail crossed the room and ordered Ron and Harry to follow him to the fire's edge. With a final glance back at his father, Harry walked slowly to stand opposite Ron, whose face was now almost completely devoid of colour, and they waited anxiously together in front of Lily. Harry desperately wanted to reassure him in some way, but was afraid of making the Dark Lord suspicious; besides, he still didn't know what was going to happen. Voldemort stood up from his throne and positioned himself nearby, leaving Harry's wand on the chair with the others.

"Do it now! Oh, and just in case you find yourself tempted to use that wand for any other purpose…"

Voldemort waved a long thin finger at Snape, who had just emerged from the crowd of Death Eaters, and who now aimed his wand at Sirius and Arabella in response to his master's command. Sirius scowled at him, partly to put on a good show and partly to express his dislike for the other wizard. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed his father move over to the other side of the cavern, where Cedric, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce had been standing silently, observing the strange events taking place around them. 

As Lily took his wrist and pointed her wand at him, he saw Voldemort rise in anticipation from his regal throne. A second later, Harry felt a wand tip creep imperceptibly up the sleeve of his robes and touch the edge of the feather hidden within. As her lips opened to speak the incantation, Harry closed his eyes and steeled himself against what was about to happen. He wondered if he would die instantly from the massive wound on his back that he knew must be life-threatening considering his mother's reluctance to remove the protections that had guarded his life since the day of his birth. Perhaps, given the antidote, he might live long enough to die a less horrible death, Avada kedavra, for example. He was pretty sure that there was no way Voldemort was going to cure his poison, take the Penna and send him on his merry way back to the Burrow. _How could she agree to this? Either way I'm damned. Well, too late now…_

_ _

Lily was speaking in a foreign tongue, in which the only words he could recognise were, "Penna" and his own name. Harry supposed she was removing the charm from him and that he would probably start to become more aware of his wound soon and the poison working its way through his blood. However, surprisingly, there was no sensation. He still felt tired and sore, but by no means at death's door. This wasn't what he had expected. Surely if he was no longer the Secret Keeper for the Penna, the spell would no longer prolong his life in the face of a fatal wound. He felt Lily withdraw her wand and opened his eyes curiously to watch as she transferred it to Ron's heart, but not to _his_ wrist, all the while speaking strange words that held little meaning to Harry. He heard Ron's name being mentioned, and again the Penna, but still he remained steady on his feet. _Why am I not dying? Maybe Mum was wrong about that part._

Presently Harry's mother stopped speaking. Ron was staring at Harry's arm, his eyes wide with terror.

"Come over here, boy! Wormtail bring him at once!" Voldemort yelled.

As Ron was led up to the Dark Lord's throne, Harry swiftly turned to his mother and whispered as quietly as he could.

"Shouldn't I be dying now?"

"No. You're still the Secret Keeper for the Penna Potissimus."

"But then-I thought-What did you just do?"

"Ron is a Secret Keeper too, but not for the Penna Potissimus; for the Penna you're hiding up your sleeve, actually!"

Harry grinned as comprehension dawned on him.

"But Ron doesn't know. He'll think it's the real thing!"

"That's the idea. Make sure no one but Ron sees it, or it'll give everything away. You'd better pretend you're dying too-"

"Right…"

Harry quickly sat down on the ground and pretended to rub his back in pain. Lily knelt down beside him and took his hand. Harry wondered why she looked so upset. When she spoke, it was with a forced restraint that Harry found unsettling.

"While Voldemort's distracted with what he thinks is the Penna Potissimus, I'll use a summoning charm to get your wand. That is where you're hiding it, is it not?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I was a Secret Keeper myself once, remember? However, I can't use it anymore, so I'll give it to you. You'll have to be quick. Use whatever curse you can think of on Voldemort. Sirius and James will be ready to grab the other wands and help you."

Harry nodded in understanding and tried to compose his mind against the challenges ahead.

"What about Priori Incantatem?"

"It will be the same as last time, but I think you'll find it easier with the Penna… Harry, if anything happens to your father and I, just remember that we love you, and that we live on inside you so we'll never truly be dead. You're everything I would have wanted in a son-"

Lily swallowed hard and wiped at the tears forming in her green eyes. Fear built up in the back of Harry's mind. Why was she crying?

"Mum, what…?"

"We can't stay," she sobbed.

"Y-Yes you can. We just have to keep that fire lit. Wormtail told me…"

"No… That's only a Sempiternos spell. Our being here is a temporary effect… You'll still have Sirius. It'll be okay, Harry."

"No…"

"I'm sorry, Harry…"

"You can't go…"

"You have to be strong-"

"Can't I g-go back with you, wherever…"

"No," Lily stated firmly as she got to her feet, "You have a lot to do with your life, Harry. Make us proud by living it."

Harry's eyes filled with tears and his mind went blank, as if he had simply taken in too much. He gazed blankly at his mother for what seemed an eternity until somebody suddenly grabbed him by the arm. It was Ron.

"Well? Can you see it, Weasley?" a soft voice called from the other side of the room.

"Yes", Ron's voice uttered calmly.

"Describe it!"

"It's a gold feather-"

"That's it! Bring it to me at once!"

As Ron retreated with the feather, Lily hissed under her breath at Harry.

"Now, Harry! Stand up!"

"Yes!" Voldemort cried, "Death Eaters! You will now have the honour of witnessing the greatest triumph in the history of Slytherin House. The Penna Potissimus is mine! I shall rule eternal-"

"Accio wand!" Lily yelled.

Harry's hand surged forward to snatch his golden wand as it soared through the air towards his mother. In that moment Voldemort finally realised his danger and his mistake. The glimmering feather fell softly to the floor as he reached into his robes for his wand, but it was too late.

Harry did not hesitate.

"Avada kedavra!" 

A/N: Well, I hope that wasn't too bad J Please review and tell me what you think. Luckily, my horrible exams are behind me now so I'll be able to write much more quickly. Thank you Coqui, for your help and suggestions. As ever you are the Goddess of Grammar and Punctuation! Anyway, the following people were kind enough to review (Sorry for not replying to everyone in person but the list is getting a bit long now and I didn't want to make you wait any longer for this chapter. I read all your suggestions, though, an am very grateful that you took the time to review):

Belle M, someone2, Amanda Mancini, Giesbrecht, Coqui, Saria Barton, Nagh, Rede, Harry's Crush, Harry's Mum Lily (Can't wait for that sequel!), Rishi, Tia'RaHu, DolphinZ, SailorCelestial, PEZ, cocacola, ~Gryffindor Angel~, Adelina, ryuu kaze, PixyChick, Dunno, Julie (Oh, I feel terrible having to disappoint you because I love Sirius too and I want him to be happy, but I really don't think I can let James and Lily live. At least Sirius and Harry still have each other. I was very tempted to do what you asked, but I didn't want the ending to be too mushy. However, there is one compromise. Harry will know at the end of the story that it is possible for him to bring his parents back to life and this will stir him to declare war on Voldemort. All he needs is the Dark Lord's wand and then there will be nothing to stop him from bringing back James and Lily. I might even do a sequel based on this fact. Hmmm…), Nameless, stark-raving-loony.

Pleiades.


	18. Chapter XVIII

The Secret Keeper 18

**The Secret Keeper**   
**Chapter XVIII**

  


Harry's wand shook violently with the force of the curse that erupted from its tip. Instinctively he gripped onto it with both hands, waiting for Priori Incantatem to assert itself but, surprisingly, he did not feel that jolt of contact he remembered so well from his previous duel with the Dark Lord; instead, he sensed only the amazing spurt of power and indifference that had accompanied his earlier use of the Killing Curse, leaving him both drained and frenzied with anticipation. Such was the tremendous and unexpected celerity of the moment, however, that Harry had barely a second to register his surprise at the speed of his own reactions before the stony cavern was bathed in an unearthly serpentine glow that left him temporarily blinded as he endeavoured to discern the outcome of his spell. The bolt of light seared rapidly across the void separating him from his enemy, but Harry was almost certain that he saw it connect with Voldemort's chest, so unprepared was the Dark wizard for this sudden assault. As his eyes squinted to track the progress of the curse, Harry held his breath and hardly dared to hope. Would this be enough? _Surely not..._

Almost immediately the green light vanished, and the eerie noises of the cavern once more began to encroach upon Harry's consciousness. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, he heard the muffled thump of something heavy hitting the ground, followed by a collective gasp of dismay from the assembled crowd of Death Eaters behind him. Rubbing his tired eyes, Harry saw to his astonishment that the Dark Lord was no longer facing him from across the room. A black-clothed heap lying motionless between the throne and the enormous blue fire that was still flickering crisply was all that remained of the great heir of Slytherin. 

An ominous silence pervaded the gloomy cavern, and for a long time nobody moved. Harry stood uncertainly, his mind torn between the conflicting desire to escape while he had the chance and to stay and witness the final confirmation of the Dark Lord's defeat. He did not withdraw the devastating instrument still tightly extended in his two hands, but waited patiently, his eyes not darting from the lone figure sprawled ungainly upon the floor lest a sudden movement should shatter his victory. He was painfully aware that the shocked state of Voldemort's servants would not last much longer, and that at any moment he could find himself in extreme danger. Nevertheless, he was unable to tear himself from the riveting spectacle before him, refusing to allow the threat posed by the Death Eaters to impinge upon the rapidly growing and liberating sense of power that was now pulsating from his finger tips, into his veins and throughout his body. 

A swift movement in the Death Eaters' midst, however, attracted Harry's attention as, without warning, one of their number suddenly pushed his way through the crowd and made a frantic dash for the archway leading out of the cavern. Sirius started at the sight of his old enemy Wormtail fleeing from the scene of his master's apparent downfall, but was restrained from pursuit by Arabella, who was gazing transfixed at the still form lying prostate on the ground before the regal throne. Sirius' eyes travelled longingly from the exit to the throne, where his wand was still lying in the company of Ron's and Arabella's. He nodded glumly at Arabella. Without his wand he would have little hope of catching Wormtail, and if he grabbed it he might provoke the Death Eaters into attacking Harry. He would have to wait for his revenge. 

Harry's eyes resignedly tracked the hasty retreat of the small, plump wizard from the dark cavern, causing him to sigh inwardly at the realisation that with Wormtail's escape, more had been lost than the chance to prove Sirius' innocence; gone too was the antidote to the poison that was slowly but steadily drawing the life from his own body. Harry knew, however, that he was powerless to do anything about it now except hope that, as a Secret Keeper, the protections placed upon his life would be enough to keep him alive long enough to find a way out of Azkaban and then find someone able to brew him another antidote. It was a lot to hope for, admittedly, but Harry was determined not to give in, despite the fact that he was beginning to feel the effects of the poison to an increasingly alarming degree. He had to see this through to the end, whatever the outcome. If with his death came the final, undeniable fall of Lord Voldemort, then at least he could say that he had died honourably like his parents, fighting to protect the lives of others. His death would have meaning, unlike Cedric's... 

There was something he had to be sure of first, however: was the Dark Lord indeed dead? 

Harry allowed his wand arm to droop wearily to his side as he inched forward, looking at the space where, a moment earlier, Lord Voldemort had stood staring at him with his evil ruby eyes. As he examined the immobile corpse stretched out at a distance before him, with its pale features illuminated by the azure glow of the fire and its deadened red orbs staring fixedly up at the ceiling, Harry's mouth opened in surprise and his shoulders tensed. It had all been too easy. Voldemort couldn't really be dead. 

He proceeded with caution, the tremulous words of Rubeus Hagrid speaking forebodingly in his mind, "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die." Harry decided that he wouldn't fall into the trap that had ensnared so many people before. He had to be sure. 

His gaze drifted cautiously to the crowd of Death Eaters, who were still grouped at the entrance to the cavern and looking around uncertainly, for the moment seemingly too distracted by the shock of seeing the heir of Slytherin so easily defeated to bother with the small group of prisoners standing freely in their midst. Harry thought also that they appeared to be frightened of him, a phenomenon that he thought he would never be comfortable with, even if it were only Ron directing such nervous glances at him. As he began to approach the still body, however, Harry's eyes momentarily locked with his friend's, and he felt a bolt of apprehension at the slightly wary, awestruck and impressed expression on his friend's face. _He thinks I've killed him. Oh God. Why does he have to be so quick to believe me capable of that?_ Sirius, who was standing next to Ron and Arabella, a little to the right of Voldemort's throne, had a very different expression on his visage, a knowing look that Harry found distinctly disturbing. 

Purposefully avoiding Sirius' eyes and unhindered by the Dark Lord's servants, Harry knelt down at Voldemort's side with the single-minded intention of conducting a closer inspection of the body. The Dark Lord lay motionless on the stone floor, his wand still clutched tightly in his hand. There was a small lightning-bolt shaped tear in the front of his robes; the remnant of what Harry desperately hoped had been a fatal curse. He could feel his own breath catching in his throat with fear. He had never been this close to his parents' killer before, and he just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. Swallowing hard, he bent over the pale face and listened carefully, trying to blot out the sound of his own heart thumping in his ears and the image of those dull, red eyes staring up at him from the floor. Arranging his ear over the Dark Lord's mouth, he steadied his feet in case he suddenly needed to run. A moment later he relaxed slightly. _Okay, so he's not breathing; that doesn't necessarily mean he's dead. Check his pulse..._

As he steeled himself to actually touch Voldemort's skin, Harry jumped as a hand suddenly clasped around his shoulder. Startled, he turned around only to see his godfather looking down at him through his dark eyes. Sirius motioned for him to stand up, and when he spoke, his voice was unusually quiet. 

"Harry, get up. Come on, let's go". 

"Yeah, just a minute, I have to check-" 

"Please, Harry, get away from it now, you don't understand..." 

"Understand what, Sirius?" Harry heard his mother inquire sharply from close behind. 

Surprised and relieved, Harry swung around from his position on the floor and smiled at her. His parents were still there! Somehow he had subconsciously expected them to disappear when the Dark Lord fell, although why he should have thought that he didn't rightly know. He now longed to leap up from the floor and throw his arms around her, telling her that Voldemort was gone, that nobody else would ever die at his hands, that everything would be so wonderful now that he, Harry, had his parents back, but somehow he didn't feel much like celebrating. His victory had been too easy and swift to be conclusive, and he couldn't help but have misgivings. The unconvinced expression on Sirius' face added to this impression, but Harry had come too close to having everything he had ever dreamed of to let anything spoil his last chance of happiness. Excited and filled with fresh determination to escape from the prison alive and with his Mum and Dad, Harry returned his attention to the body lying on the floor. Through his own trembling and pain, he could vaguely hear Sirius continuing to speak to his mother in a hushed tone. 

"...Harry looked just like that when I found him... lightning-bolt cut on his head... thought he was dead too... he wasn't..." 

Harry had to be sure that Lord Voldemort was indeed dead, that he would never return; only then would he be able to abandon himself to the joy of having a real family at long last. Maybe Sirius was wrong, afterall. Maybe the Penna Potissimus had rendered his curse more powerful, but then, he hadn't thought to use the adaptation his godfather had taught him, had he? _Damn! It might not have been enough. He could still be alive, like I was. But he looks dead...Oh, why didn't I just use the incantation he showed me? Avada Kedavra solo infinitum... So simple. If only I hadn't been so stupid and impatient..._

Groaning at this realisation, Harry quickly decided to check for a pulse. Gripping his wand tightly with his left hand and pointing it at Lord Voldemort's torso, Harry shakily extended his right hand to the white neck. The pristine, smooth flesh about the carotid vein felt deathly cold and still to the touch, and it was a moment before Harry realised that, surprisingly, his scar was not hurting. Perhaps he really is dead! Raising his astonished eyes to Sirius' stony face, he found it difficult to conceal his excitement and the feeling of awe that was rising in his gut. 

"I-c-can't feel... There's no pulse, but -" 

At these words there was a sudden uproar among the Death Eaters, who finally emerged from their reverie and surged forward to crowd around their master. At the sight of several dozen angry Death Eaters racing towards him, Harry's body tensed and the pain in his back seemed to intensify. In the midst of the chaos, he saw his father edge discretely to the throne and retrieve the remaining three wands. Harry felt his mother's arms pulling him up off the floor, and gladly accepted her assistance, not looking back at the dead wizard as he moved. He struggled to his feet and staggered after his father, who quickly returned the wands to Sirius, Arabella and Ron. Together they hurried to the exit, leaving the furious Death Eaters behind them, and moved quickly to prevent their departure being noticed, Harry running somewhat slower than the others. 

Now that the immediate danger had passed, the sickness and pain imposed by the poison and stab-wound returned with renewed vigour. Harry felt dreadfully tired, and the hard floor over which he was travelling began to appear no less inviting than his immense four-poster back at Hogwarts. Five tall figures were framed in the doorway ahead of him, apparently trying to decide which way to go. He focused his eyes on them and forced his body onward, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to support his agonising back. As weakness assailed him, he was horrified to feel his wand dropping from his grasp and to hear it landing on the ground, its impact sounding strangely loud to his ears. Harry grasped his back and moaned softly, dropping to his knees to search the floor for the Penna. He crawled forward to where it was lying, but as he raised his head he saw that the others had gone on without him. Panicking slightly, he brushed the unruly hair out of his eyes and drove himself over the hard ground to his wand. As his fingers connected with it, however, his lower back protested from the sudden movement and he slumped defeatedly to the floor, unable to raise himself against the pain. He lay face downward on the cold stone, a few feet from the exit, and listened to the confused, bitter conversations taking place among the Death Eaters. Surely the others would notice he was missing soon and come back for him. Any minute now... 

"Harry?" 

_Thank God. They're here._

"Yeah..." 

_That didn't sound like my Dad or Sirius..._

"Here, I'll help you up...You look like hell, Harry. There, now you'd better leave quickly. They're getting pretty angry". 

At first Harry didn't recognise the voice, but he allowed the strong arms to lift him off the ground and set him unsteadily on his feet. He almost fell just as quickly, however, when he focused on the youthful, handsome face observing him keenly. 

"C-Cedric?" 

"Yeah, it's me. Here, don't forget your wand..." 

"Thanks... Um, Cedric, I, I don't know what to-I'm really sorry about-" 

"It's okay. Don't blame yourself for what happened, all right? It wasn't your fault. Oh, and thanks for taking my body back to my parents. It made it easier for them, you know?... Now, hurry; you have to get out of here!" 

"Aren't you coming? You're not dead anymore. Pettigrew told me-" 

"No, you go ahead. The others and I will try to delay them if they follow you". 

Harry stared at him incredulously. 

"But," he spluttered, amazed, "You have to come back with us! Your parents - Cho Chang... " 

"Harry, I can't stay here. That fire will only last for a little while, but at least it will be long enough for me to help you escape. You have to go back! Go on, now.   
Don't worry about me, it's not so bad, you know..." 

"But - if- what about my parents?" 

"I'm sorry, Harry, they can't stay either," Cedric stated simply. 

"I'm not going!" 

"You have to-" 

"No! There has to be some way to keep that fire alight. A preservation charm! A deflecting charm! Anything..." 

"Trust me, Harry, there's nothing you can do. You just have to accept-" 

"No. There has to be _something_ I can do. I've come too far to lose them now..." 

"The fire's going to die out soon, Harry. Will you not run after your parents and spend as much time with them as you can before they go?" 

"... An Impervius charm perhaps? A sempritus charm?..." 

"Look, I know this isn't easy for you, but everything happens for a reason..." 

"... If only I knew how to cast a longevity spell! Or...or...Wait! Maybe I could just repeat the spell that Voldemort used. Yes! I could do that, couldn't I, and keep renewing it every time it ended. There'd be nothing to stop me from keeping them here forever! I could bring you back too! But how-?... Priori Incantatem... I need his wand!" 

"Harry..." 

"Accio wand!" Harry roared. 

The Death Eaters leapt aside to avoid their master's wand, which suddenly hurtled out of his grasp and sped towards the exit of the cavern. When they saw Harry catch it triumphantly, they were filled with rage and a bloodthirsty lust for revenge. Sensing his danger, Harry exchanged a final, meaningful glance with Cedric and turned to leave, only to run headlong into the tall form of his father. Harry stepped back and grinned at him, concealing Voldemort's wand behind his back. James raised an eyebrow at the strange, satisfied expression on his son's face, before simply grabbing him by the shoulder and rushing out into the long dark corridor, muttering to him as they went and failing miserably in his attempt to sound stern. 

"Where'd you get to, Harry? I was so-Your mother was worried sick-" 

"Sorry, there was something I had to do". 

"C'mon. The others are waiting up here. Sirius came up with a surprisingly clever escape plan. It'll probably get you all killed, but it's still clever, at least by Padfoot's standards". 

"I heard that, Prongs!" 

"Good, you were supposed to". 

Sirius gripped James' hand in a warm handshake as he, Arabella, Lily and Ron came out from a hidden cleft in the cave walls. 

"I can't believe we actually escaped!" Sirius exclaimed. 

"Not yet, you haven't," Lily reminded him, as she pulled away from Harry and eyed his ill, exhausted state. "What are we going to do about that antidote? He won't be able for that long walk without it, and we'll have to do something about his back too". 

"What long walk?" Harry asked slowly, dreading the answer and inwardly cringing at the thought of having to expend any more energy. 

Sirius glanced at him sympathetically. 

"Remember those dementors You-Know-Who mentioned? They're supposedly making their way to Hogwarts, right? Well, I can sense them not too far ahead, moving slowly. My guess is, they'll be taking portkeys at the gates beyond the apparition wards, as they don't work inside the prison. We just have to follow them and steal a portkey. It's either that or face a long swim back to the mainland and, believe me, that's not pleasant". 

"Is that all?" Harry groaned, allowing himself to sink onto the ground. 

The thought of not only having to face an hour's walk, but also an army of dementors was more than Harry could bear, yet he knew that he had no other choice. At least he'd be back at Hogwarts soon, where Madam Pomfrey might be able to cure his poison. Nodding reluctantly, Harry struggled to raise himself, wincing noticeably at the terrible pain in his lower back. His mother quickly kneeled down beside him, supporting his trembling body. 

"Wait a minute, Harry! James, see what you can do about his back; the wound must be excruciating. If it wasn't for the Fidelius Charm, I doubt he'd even be alive". 

"All right, I don't know how much this will help; it probably won't do anything for the poison, but it cleaned up enough werewolf-inflicted wounds to save a dying dragon. _Albus totalus!_" 

Harry heard a collective gasp behind him as the others gathered to see the effect of James' spell. He experienced a strange, tickling sensation over his wound, as if someone was running their fingers over it, but there was no pain. He gathered from the impressed look on Ron's face, though, that there was some improvement in the wound's appearance, although, without the aid of a mirror, he couldn't tell its extent. Timidly, he brought his hand around, expecting to feel the long, thin laceration, covered with a mass of clotted blood and the dried out material of his robes, but instead he felt only cool, smooth skin. He could barely conceal his surprise. 

"Is it gone?" he asked, amazed. 

"Of course it is! As if the great James Potter would botch an impossible healing charm like that!" Sirius retorted, laughing. 

"Years of practise, Padfoot. Now, we'd better get going. Those dementors had a pretty good head start, afterall". 

James and Lily helped Harry to his feet and they set off down the long tunnel. In front of them, Sirius and Arabella set a brisk pace, leading the way with their illuminated wands. Harry was so immersed in the simple pleasure of walking alongside his parents that it was a while before he noticed that Ron was following a short distance behind on his own and looking thoroughly miserable. Harry reluctantly let go of his mother's hand and turned to his friend, inviting him to come up beside them. Ron shook his head and mumbled something about not wanting to intrude, but Harry insisted and grabbed him by the sleeves, grateful for all the times Ron had admitted him to his own family, and glad of the opportunity to return the kindness. 

It felt so nice, and normal, for him and Ron to be walking near his parents that all thoughts of Azkaban, and Voldemort, and poison, were soon driven from his head. He walked contentedly forward, on occasion deliberately forcing himself not to stare at his mother's hair in order to play out the fantasy that he was just a normal teenager, who saw his parents everyday and therefore couldn't be bothered to look at them every second. He felt a happiness greater than anything he had every experienced, a sense of belonging and acceptance that left him almost breathless as his mind hopped from one ecstatic and seemingly impossible vision to the next. Feverishly, he imagined himself one moment standing on Platform nine and three-quarters, saying goodbye to his tearful mother and proudly introducing his father to his fellow Gryffindors; the next moment he saw himself shopping in Diagon Alley, while Lily and James argued ceaselessly over which shop to enter first, "Flourish and Blotts," or, "Quality Quidditch Supplies". Underlying this unspeakable joy and warmth, however, was the cruel and nagging fear that it all might be too good to be true. Harry tried to dismiss these thoughts, fueled by a lifetime of disappointments and near-misses, and let his parents guide him through the immense tunnel that he remembered only vaguely from his dream back at the Burrow. 

James and Lily smiled encouragingly at Ron and seemed just as interested in Harry's friend as in Harry himself. 

"So, Ron, are you in Hogwarts too?" Lily asked curiously. 

"Yeah-" 

"Same class?" James interjected. 

Ron nodded. 

"Both Gryffindors, I hope?" James inquired pompously, causing Sirius to chuckle lightly. 

"No, Slytherins," Harry answered seriously. 

At the expression of horror and disbelief on James' face Ron and Harry burst into laughter, an incongruous sound amidst the dank, dreary walls of the prison. 

"Oh, very funny. Here I am making an effort to be extra nice to the son I haven't seen in fourteen years, and he tries to give me a heart attack. That must come from your side of the family, Lily-" 

"I doubt that, dear. Didn't you once try to convince me that you'd seen our newborn baby son's head spinning on his shoulders, barely an hour after I'd given birth to him and after Albus Dumbledore _himself_ had told me to watch out for early signs of his magical abilities?" 

James grinned guiltily, "Ah, but that _was_ funny!" 

"Hysterical," Lily added drily. 

There followed a moment's silence, during which Harry carefully chose his next words so as not to sound like he had been waiting to say them ever since he had flown his first broomstick. 

"Um, D- James?" Harry asked uncertainly. 

"You can call me, 'Dad', if you want, Harry, I won't kill you for it-" 

Harry blushed awkwardly and forced himself to look into his father's warm, blue eyes, an odd feature in a face that so closely resembled his own. He almost laughed when it occurred to him that his father was probably having the same thought. 

"Okay, um, Dad, what kind of broom did you fly?" 

James chuckled, surprised at the serious tone in which his son had asked such a trivial question. 

"Oh, I had a Nimbus 50, the best broom that money could buy. Such smooth lines, turned at the slightest touch, beautifully crafted, elegant..." 

"Prongs, you're making Lily jealous!" Sirius pointed out. 

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, well she had her beloved _leather-bound_, _first edition_ copy of 'Hogwarts: A History', now didn't she? Actually slept with it under her pillow every night, terrified Voldemort would come to the house and steal it. I'm surprised she didn't think of using the Fidelius Charm! Mind you, it wasn't really necessary with two of the country's best Aurors to stand guard over it night and day, a worthy occupation for us, I'm sure you'll agree! And you didn't hear me complaining about _that_, did you, Padfoot?" 

Sirius laughed loudly and hugged Lily in mock comfort. Ron, however, was looking at her in complete amazement. 

He blurted out, "You actually _read,_ 'Hogwarts: A History'?" 

Lily looked slightly hurt, reminding him painfully of Hermione. James simply smiled and continued speaking to Harry. 

"Never mind. Anyway, Harry, getting back to my excellent Nimbus...why do you ask?" 

"Oh, just curious...but you should see my Firebolt! Sirius bought it for me. You'll be amazed when you try it out. It's the best broom I've ever-" 

"What's that?" Arabella shrieked, pointing at a spot near James' feet. 

Everyone except James and Lily suddenly jumped in fright as they saw the circular blue ring of light emanating from the ground beneath the Potters' feet. James didn't seem to notice, however, and his lips moved silently as he spoke obliviously to Harry, who sadly could no longer decipher the words. Lily also seemed unaware of the strange events that were transpiring around her, and she merely continued to nod occasionally at her husband's conversation and smile apologisingly at Arabella, whom she presumed would be bored by the discussion of broomsticks. Harry struggled to listen to his father's distant voice. It was as if some unseen force were pulling James Potter far away from the long, dark tunnel in Azkaban and his distraught, beloved son. Amidst the confusion, Harry could only make out a few words, "... have to agree... Quidditch...Canons..." 

Harry watched helplessly as his parents' bodies began to fade, growing dimmer and dimmer with every passing second and coming closer to resembling the ghostly apparitions that had aided him in his escape from the graveyard at Little Hangleton after the disastrous Triwizard Tournament. Finally, however, James noticed that his son's eyes were riveted on his body, which seemed to be flickering between a strange blue and silver glow. He immediately turned to face Lily, who nodded glumly and looked down at her own figure, where a similar sight greeted her. Arabella took Harry's hand and glanced at him sympathetically, realising that he understood what was happening. 

"The spell is ending?" 

"Sorry, Harry". 

"It's all right, I'll see them again". 

"What do you mean?" 

Harry pulled Lord Voldemort's wand out of his pocket and held it closely. Sirius looked at him blankly, uncomprehending. Arabella understood, however. 

"Is that You-Know-Who's wand?" she asked, startled. 

Harry nodded in affirmation and turned back to his parents. Lily and James were now almost completely invisible but, as he strained his ears, Harry could just make out two final heartfelt words before they disappeared in a burst of blue light, "...love you...". 

"Mum, Dad..." he whispered achingly. 

The light faded and all was dark. Then they were gone. Harry wiped the tears from his eyes and searched in his pocket for Voldemort's wand, just to reassure himself that it was there. _It'll be all right. I'll see them again soon..._

Back at the hidden cleft, not very far away, two shadows were swallowed up by the darkness as they continued their determined pursuit.   
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: Finally! That took forever. I have never had to slave over any chapter as much as this one. Unfortunately, I had a major case of writer's block and just couldn't work out how to let Harry escape without killing Voldemort,.so I hope it works okay and that it wasn't too long. Well, I think there are only two more chapters left, or possibly one and an epilogue. I haven't really decided yet. I'll just see how the next part goes. I'd like to thank all the wonderful, kind people who reviewed. I'm eternally grateful! Please review again! Sorry I can't reply to everyone in person, but I've heard about people getting their accounts deleted for having too long A/Ns. Anyway, the following wonderful people get free copies of, 'Magical Me': 

**Amanda Mancini**, **Rede**, **Sari-chan**, **Harry's Crush**, **Rishi**, **PEZ**, **SailorCelestial**, **stark-raving loony**, **Sandrine**, **California**, **queen of sheba **(Ah, your majesty, I'm a glutton for praise and after your review, um reviews actually, I'm stuffed! It's very good of you to take the time to review so many chapters. Well, what can I say? First off, you're absolutely right about Godric's Hollow, so I guess I'm not such a genius afterall, but hey, I already knew that! Silly ol' me. I actually realised my mistake about Godric's Hollow a little while after I first included it in my fic and I could have screamed! I considered thinking up some ridiculous explanation for it to include in the fic, like it somehow magically rebuilt itself after the death of Voldemort, but it didn't really tie in with what I'd written so far. So let's just call it artistic license as you so shrewdly suggested! Maybe I'll go back when I finish the series and change the story around to account for my error. That would mean a lot of editing, though. Mind you, I still have to put in titles for all these chapters. Oh, so much to do, so little time.... I won't ask you to keep reading though, since I suspect you will anyway! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you.), **nagh**, **Basil**, **Lyta Padfoot**, **Demon_Child**, **Coqui**, **Sofie**, **Adelina** (Thank you, again! Sorry I haven't been reviewing Resistance, by the way. I absolutely loved Everytime I close My Eyes, and have it saved on my computer to read every so often, but haven't had the time to read the sequel lately with my own fic. I'm going to read it one big chunk as soon as I finish this story, and I'll be sure to review. I've heard its really good, so I can't wait to catch up), **Inscriffany**, **SEEKER_2000**, **Gohan Hugger**, **Dunno**, **Harry's Mum Lily**, **cocacola**, **Topcat2**, **beth**, **Fiona** (Yes, there will be a follow-up chapter, as I still have loads of loose ends to tie up), **JustMe**, **Kimberley**, **THE HEIR**, **Jedi Lizzybean**, **sublimechick**, **muggle genius**, **ryuu kaze**, **Steph**, **Rufus** (Can't wait for next part of OoP, it's looking really good). 

Pleiades.   
  



	19. Chapter XIX

The Secret Keeper 19

**The Secret Keeper**   
**Chapter XIX**

Remus drew his cloak tighter around his shoulders as a sudden draft blew through the living room at Godric's Hollow. Outside, the sun was beginning its slow descent over the lush trees, and the light was starting to fade announcing the close of yet another glorious June day. None of the vibrant sounds of summer permeated the thick, granite walls of the Potter's former residence, however. There were no birds singing the evening chant such as Remus had often heard much to his delight at the Burrow; nor were there any insects or buzzing bees to lend that vital quality of life he had once known so well to the old, rustic cottage. Godric's Hollow was as dead as a house could be, despite the generations of Gryffindors that had filled it's halls with laughter and merriment. The deaths of Lily and James had marked it forever as a place dominated by suffering and decay, and it was difficult for Remus to sit within its walls without at least some of that sorrow and grief transferring itself to his thoughts. 

It had been a long day, as he noted wearily, but no doubt it had been longer for Sirius, Arabella and Harry. He hoped that Dumbledore would hurry up, as he felt completely useless sitting around for hours and doing nothing to help his friends. For all he knew they could be dead already. He had been waiting so long that he thought he had actually started hallucinating. A short time ago he had even imagined that the inscription on the Potters' clock had changed from, "Deceased," to, "In mortal peril". 

_I did imagine that, didn't I? Maybe I should go back for another look. It seemed real at the time, though._

A moment later, Remus stood up and headed back into the kitchen, grateful for the perpetual heat of that room. If only Dumbledore had told him to wait in there! Scowling slightly, he raised his eyes to the clock, daring it to tell him he was crazy. _Aha! I knew I imagined it!_ Despite the clock's confirmation of his own sanity, however, Remus did not smile as he returned to the living room. It saddened him that even after fourteen years of grief for his friends' deaths, part of him still had difficulty believing that it had ever occurred. _If only-_

Remus' body suddenly tensed as his perceptive ears detected a soft, swishing sound emanating from the wall to his right. He drew his wand and stood up, all the while listening to the unusual and apparently fast-approaching sound that was reminiscent of lush fabric brushing across stone. He remained calm, his senses unperturbed by the strange occurrence, and simply waited for whatever was coming. Having spent so much time in Godric's Hollow during his life as an Auror, he was well aware of its intense magical qualities and knew better than to panic. More than likely it was just the corridors rearranging themselves, or perhaps a ghost, although, as Remus reminded himself, there hadn't been a ghost at Godric's Hollow since the Potters had died. 

The sound got closer and closer until it seemed like something was actually _inside the wall_! Frowning impatiently, Remus took a hesitant step toward the mahogany panelling, his eyes attracted to an almost imperceptible groove running through the dark grain that he was sure hadn't been there a moment before. No sooner did he notice this, however, than, without warning, a section of the panel began to open out like a door. Astonished, he leaped back, wand outstretched and all thoughts driven from his mind in his alert state. The door in the wall finally stopped opening to reveal a dark corridor behind it. Intrigued, Remus stepped closer. He was just wondering whether or not it would be sensible for him to investigate when he noticed a tall, thin, robed figure approaching him through the passage. He raised his wand cautiously and prepared for attack, but it was only Albus Dumbledore. The old headmaster smiled broadly at him through his half-moon spectacles, eyes lowering bemusedly to the wand pointed squarely at his chest. 

"Well, Remus, you're still here, then". 

"Wha- Yes, that is to say, I am. What is that?" 

"Ah, an old passage... goes back to Gryffindor's time actually, but I'm afraid we don't have time for a history lesson. I've just come from the Ministry. My meeting with Fudge was most interesting, and I daresay Sirius will have a thing or two to say about it when he returns, but for now there are more important matters to discuss. It seems that a large party of dementors, under the command of certain Death Eaters, is currently making its way to Hogwarts-" 

"So soon? We expected-" 

"Yes, I know. Luckily for us, however, young Mr. Weasley's timely disappearance prompted a regrouping of the members of the Order, if you will recall, so we now have a large force with which to launch a counter-attack. I daresay the Azkaban guards will encounter considerably more resistance than they bargained for". 

"Then we should be at Hogwarts!" Remus blurted out. 

"Not just yet, Remus. I suspect we may be needed here more. The dementors have positioned themselves outside the apparition wards while they wait for their entire party to arrive, so we still have some time. Our own forces are not far from Hogwarts now. I owled Minerva to tell her to call off the raid on Azkaban and return to the school immediately-" 

"But what about Sirius, Harry and Arabella?" 

"I don't think we need concern ourselves with them for now. From my little examination of Sir Godric's passage I'm guessing that Harry already has what he needs to escape". 

"You're speaking in riddles again, Albus!" 

"Am I?" Dumbledore asked mildly, "An unfortunate habit of the old, I'm afraid... Now, how about a cup of tea?" 

Remus laughed, "Well, if you insist... ". 

*** 

Sirius stopped walking to peer back into the darkness for the fifth time. Now he was certain he had heard something moving behind them. It was no use Arabella telling him that it was just his imagination, or his terrifying memories of Azkaban returning to make him jumpy; somebody was definitely following them. Once again, however, no matter how hard he squinted he still couldn't discern anything in the black tunnel through which they had passed. Sighing, he led the three others onward towards the exit, his ears remaining alert to the slightest sound. There wasn't far to go now; already he could feel the air becoming cooler and less stale. 

As eager as he was to leave the site of his former misery, however, so also was he becoming increasingly nervous as they reached the outermost perimeter of its towering, black walls. The closer they came to the exit, the more he felt the dementor-induced chill seep into his already cold bones, announcing his alarming proximity to the dreadful creatures. In addition to this, he had also begun to question the practicalities of his ludicrous plan, and to wonder how they would actually put it into action. What if the dementors weren't taking portkeys? Would they be able to swim to the mainland? Sure, he had done it once before, but he had then been driven by his obsession with killing Wormtail; also, he had been alone and responsible only for himself. He could not ask Harry to undertake such a hazardous journey in his present condition. James' spell had given him some amount of strength, but the Todis potion was still winding its way through his veins and killing him slowly. The slowness of his pace and the occasional loss of balance were proof enough of that. No. Their only hope lay in finding a portkey to return them to Hogwarts. Once there, he could warn Dumbledore about the planned attack on the school and, hopefully, obtain a cure for Harry's poison. Then, he supposed he would enjoy a large butterbeer and a square meal followed by a week of sleep. _One thing at a time, Padfoot, don't get ahead of yourself..._

Unable to banish the uncomfortable, paranoid sensation of being watched from behind, Sirius tightened his grip on Harry's arm and quickened his step, causing his godson to stumble slightly. He apologised quietly, feeling a twinge of guilt at having to drive Harry when he was so obviously unwell, but did not slow his pace. He felt Ron and Arabella raise questioning glances to him, but decided not to say anything that might frighten them or make them any more nervous than they already were, than he was himself. He remained silent and continued to hurry onward to the tiny pinprick of fading light in the distance. Presently, however, they were obliged to stop as Harry moaned softly and turned away from them, dropping to his knees near the wall and proceeding to vomit profusely. Sirius watched on helplessly, occasionally directing a searching gaze into the tunnel behind him and shuffling his feet impatiently. _This isn't going to make things any easier. I hope he can hold out long enough to get to Hogwarts..._

When Harry finally stopped vomiting, they continued their journey through the seemingly endless limestone tunnel, watching the orb of light ahead growing ever larger and less bright. Evidently night was falling outside Azkaban, as Sirius noted in surprise. Had it only been a few hours since they were captured at Godric's Hollow? It seemed like days had passed since his frantic rush from the Ministry of Magic to find his godson and tell him the wonderful news... 

"Harry! I almost forgot! I hadn't a chance to tell you this earlier, but Moony and I found something amazing at the Ministry this morning. You won't believe it. I hardly know what to make of it myself-" 

"Perhaps you'd like to tell us what, 'it' is, Sirius," Arabella snapped, the exhaustion and tension showing clearly in her voice, "Sorry, I'm just tired and fed up". 

Sirius nodded in understanding and stroked her hair lovingly. 

"'S alright, 'Bella. I know how you feel. Maybe this will cheer you up, however. Moony and I were searching Percy's office to try and find out what evidence he had against Fudge. You know, we think that's why he was killed, Ron. Percy found something in the Ministry's files that he wasn't supposed to see-" 

Ron's face paled and he turned to Harry. 

"What was it?" Harry asked his godfather in a faint but interested voice. 

"My pardon... It said that, 'irrefutable evidence,' had been found, proving my innocence-" 

Sirius felt a burst of pleasure at the sudden smile that lit up his godson's face, the reaction he had been hoping for. Arabella was looking thoroughly shocked and confused, however, a mixture of emotions that Sirius had rarely known her gentle features to display . 

"What?! When?" she burst out, stopping dead in her tracks. 

Sirius smiled wonderingly at her, marvelling at how quickly her heart could overcome her innate sense of reason. She looked so beautiful when she was angry... 

"It was fourteen years ago, 'Bella, not long after I was imprisoned. The pardon was signed at that time by Cornelius Fudge himself". 

"The Minister of Magic?" she gasped incredulously, "But, then, why weren't you released?" 

"That's the mystery, and I don't know the answer, but after I left the Ministry for Godric's Hollow to deliver the good news, Moony said he would talk to Dumbledore about it. So hopefully, he'll have an explanation when we get back. Won't it be wonderful if my name is cleared, 'Bella? No more hiding in ditches and skiving off poor Moony. I'll have my old place back, maybe even get a job if someone will hire me-" 

"You could teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts!" Ron chirped, "That'd be so cool! Mind you, they say the job is jinxed, but it'd be worth it just to see the look on Snape's face!" 

Ron and Harry quickly broke off into a fit of giggles, soon joined by Sirius, who shrugged apologetically at Arabella. 

"Hey, 'Bella, the first thing I'll do when I'm free is take you for a romantic bike ride up Mount Snowdon. What d'you say? Fast bike, me in leather, what more could you ask for?" 

Ron coughed lightly and Harry chortled. Sirius ignored them, however, and turned hopefully to Arabella, the mock playfulness of his request not entirely concealing its true yearning and anxiety. 

"Don't tell me you've kept that, that machine, after all these years!" 

Sirius pretended to look hurt as he batted his eyelids and answered, "I've kept it just for you, 'Bella, since I know how much you _really _love it". 

Arabella neither confirmed nor denied this statement and waited for him to continue, well aware that she was teasing him cruelly by not answering. 

"Oh, c'mon 'Bella! Would you deny me the tiniest bit of happiness, after all I've been through?" 

"I was wondering how long it'd take you to go for the sympathy approach! Have you no shame, Sirius Black?" 

"No! At least not where you're concerned... Shut up, Harry!... Anyway, 'Bella, did it work?" 

"Hmmm. Depends..." 

"Oh? On what?" 

"...on how tight that leather is!" 

"Ah, well, I promise you it's very tight. You won't be disappointed. So what do you say? Saturday sound good?" 

"We'll see... I hope that pardon is what it seems to be. Sirius, what evidence do you suppose they found, proving your innocence?" 

"I haven't a clue, 'Bella. That explosion pretty much destroyed everything in the vicinity. I'll tell you, something, though. I'm not going to walk into the Ministry with that pardon and say, 'Here I am. I want my name cleared at once'. I'm going to stay hidden until I know they're going to let me go. I couldn't face having to come back here again". 

"_Will _you be free to go, though?" Harry asked desperately. 

"Well, maybe... I don't know. I hope so..." 

"I hope so too because I don't think the Dursleys will want me back after what happened to the house!" 

"They'll have forgotten all about it, Harry," Arabella began, "The Ministry made certain of that, so don't worry; whether Sirius is free or not, you'll still have a home to go to when all of this is over", 

"Great," Harry mumbled unenthusiastically. 

"You could always stay with us, if Dumbledore lets you," Ron pointed out. 

"Yeah..." 

At the mention of Harry's unfortunate relatives, the conversation abruptly ended. Sirius hoped more for Harry's sake than his own that Percy's evidence was all it claimed to be, since he desperately wanted to provide his godson with a proper home. To send him back to Privet Drive after the traumatic events of the past month would be a cruelty beyond anything he could imagine. Sirius knew that Harry was strong and that if he had to face returning to Privet Drive, then he would, but the injustice of it filled him with despair. It just seemed morally wrong that after all Harry had suffered and achieved in his short life, he had never known the acceptance and comfort of a loving family. Up until four years ago he hadn't even known friendship. No. The pardon had to be real, and once his name was publicly cleared, and his assets returned to him, he would give Harry the home he deserved. Perhaps Arabella would join them... 

"Sirius?..." Harry called. 

...It might be best to find a new house; his apartment in Bon Viveur Place might not be suitable for Arabella and Harry. And he'd certainly have to invest in some new furniture... 

"Sirius!" Arabella roared, "Harry's calling you". 

"What? Oh! Sorry, Harry". 

"I thought I heard something behind us," said Harry, looking apprehensively back into the corridor. 

"Yes, I know. I think we're being followed, so we have to keep going". 

For a moment nobody spoke, but then Harry's trembling voice filled the silence, giving voice to all their fears. 

"He is dead, isn't he?" 

"Who?" 

"Voldemort". 

"Don't say the name, Harry!" Ron moaned. 

Sirius looked sternly at his godson, while considering his response. 

"You'd know better than me, Harry," he stated quietly. 

"Why is that?" 

"Well, you're the one who cursed him. Did it feel like he died?" 

"I-I don't know. I've never killed anyone... but he wasn't breathing and there was no pulse". 

"Well, there you are. Look, let's just concentrate on getting out of here, shall we?" 

Harry nodded in agreement and hurried onward as best he could, trying to ignore the occasional footfalls that echoed through the tunnel in between those of his companions. Sirius walked a short distance ahead, not wanting to meet his godson's eyes. Harry always had the uncanny ability to know what he was thinking, and right now, Sirius was less than convinced of his godson's victory over the Dark Lord. He didn't want Harry to know this, however, when he undoubtedly had enough to worry about, what with the poison that was killing him and his own nagging fears about Voldemort's death. 

The truth was, however, that Sirius had seen many people inflict the Killing Curse upon Voldemort over the years, and never with any success. Even James had tried it once, but the Dark Lord hadn't so much as lost his balance. It had been an unnerving spectacle, especially considering what a powerful wizard James Potter had been, but Sirius knew that Avada Kedavra did not simply bring death; it stole life. To kill a creature so wholly devoid of life as Lord Voldemort therefore required something more than the Killing Curse, and although Harry had had the added strength of the Penna Potissimus and the spirit of Godric Gryffindor himself, Sirius still had some lingering doubt that it had been enough. Having witnessed his godson come miraculously back to life from the same curse, he was in no hurry to jump to conclusions. 

He would never forget the sight of Harry lying still in his dead mother's arms in the living room of Godric's Hollow, not making a sound. The baby had been so quiet and motionless that it had never even occurred to him to check if he was alive after discovering the corpses of his beloved friends. Harry had simply lain there, with his eyes wide open and a lightning-bolt shaped gash on his head. What had happened next, however, had caused Sirius to trip over his cloak in shock. Harry's tiny hand had shot up through his swaddle of blankets to grip onto Lily's sleeve and he had begun to cry, sending a stake of pure grief through Sirius' heart. 

He had been completely convinced of Harry's death, just as Harry now was of Voldemort's, but Sirius had learned from the mistakes of his past. He was determined not to believe the evidence of his own eyes until it he heard it confirmed by Albus Dumbledore. Only then would he lavish upon Harry the praise he deserved.   
Sirius was distracted as Harry stumbled once again and fell heavily to his knees. Turning around to help him up, his eyes were quickly drawn to something large and silver glinting faintly in the semi-darkness. He promptly heaved Harry to his feet, allowing him to lean on Ron's arm for support, and then drew his wand, searching desperately for the source of the light. He had not moved very far from his companions, however, when Harry suddenly emitted a startling cry and collapsed to the floor, gripping his scar in agony. Sirius swung around in time to see Harry sprawled on the floor, his body twitching and convulsing with pain while he continued to rub at the scar on his forehead, entirely oblivious to his surroundings. Arabella eyes opened wide in terror as she glanced at Sirius. 

"'Bella, I thought I saw-" 

At that same instant, though, Sirius felt something hard collide with the back of his head, knocking him almost senseless to the ground. While he dazedly tried to get to his feet, he was aware only a vast deal of noise and confusion, of flashes of light and screams of pain. He stood up dizzily, rubbing his head and waiting for his vision to clear. Through the diminishing haze, his mind focused on a single voice, menacing and demanding, but also familiar.   
"Give them to me!...The wands!" 

_Fletcher!_

Sirius raced over to help Harry, who was still struggling wildly to push Mundungus Fletcher off him. He raised his fist squarely, all knowledge of magic driven from his head in the fury of the moment, and prepared to slam it into the other man's skull with all the force he could muster. Before he could do so, however, another shrill voice echoed in the corridor behind him. 

"_P-Petrificus Totalus_!" 

Sirius had only a moment to regret his haste in rushing over to Harry, as his whole body suddenly went rigid and fell back onto the limestone pavement with a sickening thud. Unable to move, his eyes darted frantically in their sockets, searching for Ron and Arabella. Unfortunately, he could not see them in his narrow field of view, but there was no mistaking the short, dark-robed figure standing over him with his wand raised in triumph. _That glint of silver...Wormtail... _A moan from Harry, followed by a satisfied gasp from Fletcher announced the dark wizard's capture of the two wands in his godson's possession. 

Heavy footsteps approached his side and a moment later Sirius found himself looking up into the smiling, pudgy face of Mundungus Fletcher. 

"Well, Sirius, here we are again, old friend. You should have joined with the Dark Lord when you had the chance. It's too late now, however: _Avada Kedav_-" 

Sirius shut his eyes and awaited the inevitable, but... 

"_Avada Kedavra_!" a second voice roared from the darkness, cold and frightening. 

There was a blinding flash of green light, but it did not emerge from Fletcher's wand. Sirius watched helplessly as Fletcher's body became stiff and fell forward, right onto his own torso. He groaned inwardly as the heavy wizard impacted with his chest, but his unmoving lips did not articulate the sound. Strong arms presently heaved Fletcher's corpse upward and pushed it aside. Sirius' pupils dilated in astonishment as he recognised his saviour. It was Severus Snape, and he was looking particularly pleased with himself. 

"Get up, Black!" 

_Bloody Snape! I'd get up if I could, you moron! He doesn't even know the full body bind when he sees it...No wonder I always beat him in Defence Against the Dark Arts._

"What?... Oh, did he use a petrifying spell?" 

_Moron! Of course he used a petrifying spell! But how am I supposed to tell him that? Hmm... I'll just give him my most evil, Azkaban escapee glare._

"Right. I'll just see to Potter then-" 

_What! Oh you slimy, little... Get back here now! Damn it... Where's Wormtail?_

Sirius could do nothing but listen to Snape's footsteps as he moved away from him. Presently he spoke to Harry. 

"Potter, do you have your wand? " 

Sirius heard Harry's quiet, weak voice respond. 

"No. Fletcher took-" 

"I'll get it," Ron said. 

"Will you get Voldemort's too?" Harry asked. 

After a moment, Ron came over to Sirius' side and muttered, "_Finite Incantatem_". Sirius stretched himself luxuriously and rose to his feet, thanking Ron under his breath, and hurried over to Arabella, who had her wand trained on a characteristically terrified-looking Peter Pettigrew. Wormtail opened his mouth to speak and tried to take a step forward, but Sirius was in no mood for listening to his excuses or pleads of mercy. Ignoring him, Sirius turned murderously to Snape. 

"I always knew you were a petty, spiteful little-" 

"I should have known better than to expect any gratitude from you for saving your miserable, worthless life, Black". 

"Please, you two," Arabella asked, "Will you stop arguing? We have to get out of here. There are probably more Death Eaters following us". 

"There are," Snape stated simply. 

"What about him?" Ron asked, pointing at Pettigrew. 

"We'll take him with us. I can't think of more, 'Conclusive evidence,' of my innocence than that". 

As Arabella pushed Wormtail ahead with the tip of her wand, Sirius wandered across the cavern to help Harry, who was still half-sitting, half-lying on the ground. He was alarmed to see that Harry was looking decidedly worse, his face almost completely devoid of colour and his green eyes dull and lifeless. He hardly seemed to have the strength to stand, and Sirius knew that he would not be able to go on any further without the antidote. He let his godson sink weakly back onto the floor, where he remained, fingers playing wearily with the two wands that Ron had returned to him. 

"Wormtail, give me that phial!" 

Pettigrew turned and looked hesitantly at Sirius. Sirius knew that look well; it was the same look that Wormtail had always adopted prior to darting under Prongs' long legs to escape Moony in his more violently playful moments. Sirius approached him alertly, preparing to draw his wand at the first sign of trouble, but Wormtail slowly began to lift the string bearing the phial over his head. Sirius extended his hand to accept the bottle, but Wormtail was not forthcoming; instead, he eyed it curiously, taking his time. 

"Now, Wormtail, or I'll blast you through that wall!" Sirius growled impatiently. 

"And lose your only chance of freedom? I doubt that-" 

"Not my only chance, actually. As long as I provide the Ministry with a body part larger than your finger, I'm sure it'll have the same effect... Now, give it to me, or else!" 

"Fine, Sirius... Catch!" 

All of a sudden Wormtail flung the glass phial into the depths of the tunnel. As it rose high into the air, everyone turned and tracked its trajectory, their mouths aghast. Sirius followed the phial's path with his sharp eyes, watching as it arced precariously close to the rocky walls. Without thinking, he raced after it, extending his long arms, but too late. The bottle smashed loudly against the wall, sending shards of glass and splashes of dark liquid flying in all directions. At the same moment, Harry screamed and dived face downward onto the ground, his hands searching all around him. 

"Harry?" Sirius called, his voice still laced with the fury of seeing the cure destroyed when it had been so close to his grasp. 

"Wormtail!" 

Only then did Sirius realise that one of their number was missing. The rat had escaped again. Furious, Sirius pounded his fist into the cave wall and turned to see Harry watching him tearfully. 

"What's wrong, Harry?" 

"Voldemort's wand... It's gone," he said, in a hollow, lifeless tone of voice. 

Sirius watched in horror as Harry sank onto the floor, abandoning himself to the misery of seeing his only hope of restoring his parents to life so suddenly taken away from him. He looked helplessly at Arabella and Ron, finding himself speechless and unsure how to comfort the unfortunate boy. 

For a long time, the five sat in stunned silence, each lost in their own thoughts and fears; even Snape seemed unusually subdued and thoughtful. 

Sirius eventually turned from the dark exit ahead to the black tunnel behind, and wondered where Harry would find the strength and courage to face his destiny in the light of such intense disappointment. For he knew that the pain in Harry's scar could only mean one thing. 

Lord Voldemort was still alive.   
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: Sorry for the repost, but I had to sort out that damn html stripping problem. The chapter looks much better now (I hope). Contrary to popular belief, including my own, there are two more chapters rather than one, so I'm afraid you're not rid of me yet. Please keep reading and reviewing, as I love getting feedback.   
Pleiades.   
  



	20. Chapter XX

The Secret Keeper 20

**The Secret Keeper**   
**Chapter XX**

As the distant crimson sun finished its slow westward passage over the still horizon darkness descended, black and stifling, over the windswept fortress of Azkaban. The towering black walls of the prison reached up to the heavens as a single gigantic shadow, ominous and frightening in its proportions, while the great expanse of violent sea stretching out before it crashed mercilessly into the imposing façade carrying away the rancid stench of death and decay. Five lone, very weary figures emerged from a sea-front cave, struggling against the strong winds and the flying spray, their hunched, defeated forms illuminated in the glistening light of a half-moon, as they proceeded slowly along the rocky coastline, making for a solitary quay on the eastern-most extremity of the island. All around them, the maddening screams and cries of a thousand invisible gulls and terns battled to be heard over the crashing of waves and the whistling of the air through hidden cracks in the jagged outcrop. Still, the quintet fought their way through the elements, creeping as near to the cliff walls as possible, their tiny forms too insignificant to bring any sanity to the crazed, deafening scene around them. 

Sirius had never been so cold and wet in his life, at least that was what his mind kept informing him, over and over, in a whining, disgusted tone of voice as he shivered under his thin, waterlogged summer robes, which clung to the front of his body and flapped heavily against the back of his legs, soaking him periodically as he forced his way against the wind. He reminded himself that he had almost certainly been this cold before, his previous escape from the Azkaban coastline leaving him almost paralytic with hypothermia on a deserted beach for days, whilst the seagulls continually dive-bombed his apparent carcass in search of food, and the ants built a homely nest in his long hair. Nevertheless, the knowledge that he had been far worse off than this brought little comfort to his freezing bones, and so the little, nagging voice maintained its incessant protest with all the authority and determination of a scratched record playing a dreadful tune. 

Harry miraculously stumbled along beside him, silent and determined, his face hidden in the darkness as Sirius turned to check on his progress. He had said little since the sudden, unexpected pain in his scar and Wormtail's escape with Lord Voldemort's wand. Sirius understood his hurt, however, and let him be, only occasionally stopping to ask if he needed help climbing over the many slippery boulders that littered their path. Harry was undoubtedly suffering in the knowledge that he now had no way to resurrect his parents. Sirius suspected he was admonishing himself for not having said more to them when he had the chance, and feared that he would no longer have the strength to keep going. It was the joy of having his beloved parents returned to him that had sustained him thus far, through capture, torture and a near-fatal stab wound administered by his own best friend. Now, however, what had Harry to look forward to? 

Sirius knew that he was a poor substitute for James and Lily, but vowed to do his utmost to give Harry the happiness and stability in his life he craved, presuming, of course, that he managed to get his companions off the island and to safety. Unfortunately, that was becoming increasingly difficult to achieve, considering that his own rather sketchy memory of the prison layout did not seem to tie in with Snape's more recent impressions. 

Sirius could have sworn the quay was located on the eastern side of the island, near that enormous eroded sea arch, but Snape had dryly insisted there was no such arch anywhere near Azkaban and that Sirius was probably thinking of some other prison he had spent time in. That had, of course, led to quite a heated exchange of curses and fists, in which the words, "Your mother," and, "So fat," were just barely intelligible amidst the punches and insults, much to Arabella's chagrin and Ron's amusement. Sirius had eventually emerged triumphant, with a particularly inciteful fling at Snape's third year date for the Hogsmeade Christmas Ball. And so, they were now travelling east, Sirius strategically separated from Snape by a fierce-looking Arabella and Ron. He had not said a word since, all attempts at conversation dying at the thought of the expression he knew to be etched into Arabella's furious, no-nonsense visage. 

Smiling privately to himself in the darkness, Sirius wondered why he allowed himself to be bossed into submission by his former lover. Arabella just had a way about her, he thought lovingly, an almost teacher-like authority that brooked no disobediance or childlike behaviour. Sirius had to admit, however, that he found her domineering streak rather sexy, if a little overbearing at times, and it was that which had attracted him to her in the first place. Laughing faintly, he recalled Moony's astonished reaction to the news that he was going to ask her out on a date. _What?! Are you crazy? You're asking that, that Thatcherish woman, to a ball? Geez, Padfoot, I didn't realise you had a thing for domination! _It had been so funny listening to his friend's well-intended offers to be more violent during the next full moon, granting him the brutal confrontation he seemed to be craving. At that time, Lupin just couldn't understand how anyone could be attracted to such an interfering, bossy woman, himself preferring the quiet, thoughtful sort. It hadn't taken long, however, for all of Sirius' friends to get to know Arabella's kind and giving nature, and to accept her warmly and gratefully into their clique. Not a day had gone by when the Marauders had regretted that decision, for she had proved a loyal and intensely considerate friend, especially to Lily. The trust they had in her had finally culminated in the Potters' decision to appoint her as Harry's godmother, a role that she had devoted her life since to fulfilling. If only Harry could see it that way though, Sirius reflected. 

He still wasn't sure what to make of his godson's opinions on Arabella. It was a terrible shame that they had gotten off to a bad start, especially since it cast an unfavourable and wholly undeserved shadow on Arabella's efforts to protect Harry during his childhood. Sirius wanted his godson to appreciate the sacrifice and the kindness it had taken for Arabella to leave the wizarding world for the dull Muggle environment of Privet Drive, and to go to all the trouble of befriending the intolerable Dursleys, despite all the horror stories of that family Lily had entertained her with over the years. He wanted Harry to hear what Dumbledore had already told him about the many attempted attacks on Four Privet Drive in the aftermath of Voldemort's defeat, attacks that had largely been thwarted by the constant vigilance of Arabella and her ever-watchful cats. Above all, however, he wanted Harry to love Arabella as a surrogate mother, and to see for himself the special qualities that had so endeared her to Lily and James. Sirius knew that if only Harry was willing to give her a chance then he would begin to love her with the same affection that Sirius himself bore for her. _How could anyone not fall in love with 'Bella? She's gorgeous-_

As thoughts of Arabella warmed Sirius' chilled body, he continued to scramble through the waist-high limestone pavement, the insides of his aged leather boots now sloshing in water as the coastline became suddenly quite narrow. The rocks rose up on either side of him, providing some seaweed-covered support for his numb hands as he moved forward through the difficult channel. He soon found he had to concentrate quite hard on where he was putting his feet, so jagged and uneven was the ground beneath him, and despite his best efforts he still had difficulty navigating his way in the wind, the blown spray and the almost complete darkness. He had long ago realised the futility of trying to hold up a lighted wand when constantly having to grab onto the nearest unmoving object to stop himself from slipping. Harry now had to walk behind him, as did the others in single file, presumably with Snape bringing up the rear, so narrow was the passage through which they walked. 

Sirius just hoped that the increasing depth of water around his ankles had more to do with the eroded coastline than the approach of the tide. Well, at least a quick and easy Wingardium Leviosa would propel them up the cliffs if necessary. _Or bring us halfway up and then make us drop to a messy end on the rocks below..._

The passage of the five companions over the difficult terrain was painfully slow and awkward, especially for Harry who, although he had not complained, was clearly suffering from the effects of the poison, vomiting and weakening unexpectedly. Sirius was also concerned about the lack of visibility. What with the darkness and the seawater that kept blowing in his eyes, he was afraid of walking blindly past the quay in the night. For this reason, he would have to rely on occasional stops to light his wand and get his bearings, or perhaps on sensing the Dementors assembled on the quay, assuming of course that he had correctly guessed their intentions. 

Sirius was also aware that the quay was not the only thing being concealed from him in the dark; there were sure to be Death Eaters pursuing them, especially now that Voldemort was unquestionably alive. Shivering from the cold, fear and exhaustion, he tried not to think about the danger of their situation, reminding himself that anyone trying to follow would be hindered by the unsympathetic landscape. Even on broomstick, it would be difficult to fly against the wind. No, Sirius decided, they were going to escape. In a few days time, the overwhelming sense of icy chill, hunger and weariness would be nothing but a painful, and unforgettable, memory. 

Another gigantic wave crashed in against the shore, drowning Sirius and each of his companions in a shower of freezing cold seawater. These enormous watery masses had been hitting with even greater frequency over the last hour, usually following an incongrous period of calm, leaving him spluttering and gasping for air and almost knocking him off his feet with their awesome power. He shuddered at the sensation of the icy liquid rolling unchecked down his back as he licked at the salt encrusting his lips, feeling suddenly very hungry indeed. No wonder, he thought angrily, since he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that morning. Banishing all thoughts of food from his head with the accomplished skill of one long-accustomed to deprivation, he kept moving, aware only of the chattering of his teeth and of the deafening deluge bashing unceasingly against the rocks. _Thank God we didn't decide to swim._

He hadn't been walking long, however, when he became aware of yet another ominous lull in the sea's steady bombardment of the coast. Cursing under his breath, he turned around and called out loudly to Harry, who was only a few feet behind him. It was disconcerting to actually be able to hear his own voice as he spoke, but this did not last long. 

"I think there's another one-" he wailed. 

He was cut off as yet another mini-tsunami walloped him full in the chest, this time knocking him off his feet into the narrow and unaccomodating cleft below. Aching all over, Sirius heaved himself upright, and turned his back to the sea in order to speak to his companions. He had to yell to be heard. 

"You okay to keep going?" 

Arabella shrugged and waved her hands senselessly in his direction, mouthing indiscernably. Sirius stared blankly at her. 

"I said- I said- damn!" 

Sirius ducked as yet more water crashed onto the rocks, spraying him from head to waist. Shaking his head exasperatedly, he motioned for them all to hunch down into the small passage for some shelter. 

"Right. At least we can hear each other now. What are we going to do? We can't go on like this". 

"How much further is it?" Arabella asked, wringing her hair to one side. 

"I don't know. I can't even tell if there are dementors around here since it's so bloody cold anyway". 

"You had better be right about that pier, Black!" Snape spat angrily as he wiped his face with his soaking wet sleeve. 

Before he could retaliate, Arabella gripped his arm as if trying to pour some calm into him. Relaxing slightly, Sirius nodded reassuringly and returned the gesture before taking out his wand and muttering a quick, "_Lumos!_". He pointed his wand out to sea and raised his hand to shelter his eyes from the spray as he gazed out onto the black horizon. 

"I can't see a thing in this," he groaned, "It could be right in front of us, for all I know". 

"Couldn't one of us just Apparate there and come back with a portkey?" Arabella tried. 

Snape sniggered meaningfully, but did not condescend to answer what he considered to be a painfully stupid question. Sirius was finding it increasingly difficult to restrain his ever-growing temper. Taunting him was one thing, but taunting Arabella was a different matter entirely. 

"Watch what you say, Snape," he warned, "This passage is very narrow and it has just occurred to me how very much more room there would be without your ugly nose crowding it!" 

"That's it, Black! If you say one more thing about my nose, I'll-" 

"You'll what? Blow it? That's not a threat, Snape, since I know there's nothing up there with all the time you spend picking it! That's presuming, of course, that your finger hasn't already become permanently wedged..." 

"Enough! I see you still haven't matured beyond small-minded insults, but then, you always were the stupid one, weren't you? No wonder you couldn't do better than Potter and the werewolf for friends-" 

"Don't you dare insult my friends!" 

"Oh, but it's so easy, Black! Potter was such an almighty show-off! I don't know how you could stand him, strutting around the school like he was Merlin himself... no better than his son-" 

"You just can't accept that he saved your life, can you? At least _I _was willing to forgive-" 

"You should have gone to Azkaban for what you did," Snape hissed insanely, "I could have been killed". 

"It was a childish prank, you idiot! I never meant to kill anyone-" 

"Is that what you tell Potter, when he asks why you changed Secret Keepers?" 

"That's petty, Snape, even by your standards. Harry knows it wasn't my fault that James and Lily died". 

"Oh, you think so?" he asked mildly, an evil grin spreading slowly across his face. " I doubt it. You know him better than that. He's just comforting you, according to his own twisted ideals. He _knows_ you murdered his parents, and I hope he never forgives you for it!" 

Sirius could find not find sufficient words to reply. He was numb with shock, some of his worst fears apparently being confirmed by Snape's inconsiderate speech, and found that his lips were quivering soundlessly in a futile attempt at revenge. He just didn't know what to say. Harry's eyes were searching him frantically, but Sirius avoided them. It would be more than he could bear to see the look of accusation and guilt he felt sure Harry's face would betray. It was perfectly understandable, after all. He _had_ killed James and Lily, but to be reminded of that fact so cruelly staggered him. He could feel his body trembling with surpressed rage, and pain building up inside his head. Horrified, he stared back at the despicable, triumphant leer on Snape's loathesome face. 

"Duel. Now," he hissed, strangely audible above the crashing of the waves a short distance behind him. 

"Sirius, please, can't you talk about this another time?" Arabella begged weakly, knowing she would not be listened to. 

Indeed, neither man paid her any attention, both simply continuing to glare daggers at each other. 

"Fine. Have it your way, Black. Tell the Potters what I think of their son!" 

The two men stood up and climbed onto the rocks without a backward glance. Harry had remained perfectly quiet during the bitter interchange, sitting as if in a daze next to Arabella and Ron. He now sat up slightly to observe the duel taking place on the rocky ledge above him, a strangely exasperated expression on his face. 

Sirius took no notice of this and trudged deliberately to a position exactly twenty paces from his opponent, where he drew his wand and bowed. He was well-versed in duelling etiquette, more recently from his Auror training but also from the many times he had sneaked out onto the astronomy tower at Hogwarts to defend somebody's honour, usually not his own. As he eyed the other wizard in distaste, half a dozen likely curses floated through his mind before he raised his wand ready for the attack. 

He could tell from the look on Snape's face that this was not going to be a harmless schoolboy scuffle, but the real deal. That was fine by Sirius, who wanted to cause the Slytherin as much pain as possible. 

What would Snape try to hit him with first? Would he dare to use an Unforgivable Curse? Sighing, Sirius reluctantly decided to let his enemy cast the first stone; he would not use an Unforgivable Curse until Snape did. _Right, think back... Block, disarm, attack... Block, disarm, attack..._

Snape did not wait for confirmation that his opponent was ready to begin. With frightening speed he whipped up his wand and yelled an incantation that was inaudible amidst the deafening bombardment taking place against the rocks on which he stood, facing a now completely drenched Sirius. Sirius blocked the bright yellow curse as best he could with a flourish of his wrist, knowing that there was no point in trying to utter a counter-spell if he couldn't tell what he was being hit with in the first place. He would simply have to watch his opponent's wand closely to know when to perform the complicated blocking motion that his father had taught him in his youth. The only problem with this tactic, however, was that he could hardly even see Snape in the pitch darkness. 

With the wind gusting against him, Sirius cried out, "_Expelliarmus!_" and blinked as his opponent was suddenly illuminated in a pulse of dull red light, about five feet to the left of his spell. Sirius quickly compensated by rotating through a couple of degrees. He then steadied himself against the retaliation, thinking vaguely that it was stupid to be dueling in such dreadful conditions. He couldn't even hear his own voice cursing nonstop at the top of his lungs with every barage of water that hit him forcefully in the face like a gigantic snowball fortified with a concealed lump of rock. As Snape's wand glistened in the moonlight, Sirius ducked nimbly and let the curse pass swiftly overhead. He immediately began to roar out another disarming spell when something very strange happened. 

As an overwhelming bright burst of red light suddenly engulfed the rocky terrace, Sirius clapped his hands to his eyes and felt his knees buckle in disorientation. At almost the same moment he felt his wand torn from his grasp with inhuman strength, but was powerless to stop it. His initial thought was that Voldemort had found them and that all was lost, but he was too blinded and deafened to fully comprehend what had just happened. Confused and stunned, he cautiously opened an eye and looked around. 

Surprisingly, nothing seemed to be amiss. He was now kneeling on the wet limestone pavement in the darkness, with the wind rushing though his hair and the waves soaking his garments; however, his wand was gone. Snape must have hit him, he thought wildly as he searched the ground for escape. Sadly, there was nowhere to hide, and it was only a matter of time before Snape hit him with the Cruciatus Curse, or worse. Defeated, Sirius stood erect, ashamed at having finally been beaten by Snape. He waited. 

And he waited. Nothing happened. Confused, Sirius began to move in Snape's direction, his hands outstretched in a gesture of submission, but the other wizard was nowhere to be seen. _Oh, God! He's been washed out to sea! _Without thinking, Sirius ran to the spot where Snape had been standing moments before and frantically scanned the area. He rushed nearer to the coast and called out Snape's name, aware that his voice did not carry very far in the ferocious gale, and walked around, feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt and fear. 

"Snape!" he bellowed, now slinking back to the position where his enemy had apparently fallen. 

He almost jumped at the sound of a supremely irritated, whining voice coming from the ground beneath him. 

"What? Get it over with, damn it!" 

"Snape, are you all right? I thought you'd been washed out to sea, or something-" 

"Oh, spare me the Gryffindor side-show! Just kill me and get it over with!" 

"What are you talking about? You took my wand..." 

"I don't have your bloody wand, Black. You, however, have mine. Now either return it, or use it! ...Honestly, what kind of a wizard loses his wand-" 

"Look, I don't have any wand. You hit me with a disarming spell!" 

"No, I didn't. You hit me- I couldn't see a thing-" 

"No-" 

"You disarmed me, Black!" 

"No I didn't!" 

"Ah, the need to be right - the sign of a vulgar mind". 

"Shut up, greaseball. Something's going on here". 

"Your powers of deduction astound me". 

Sirius stepped past him and began to scan the ground for any obvious clues. It was only then that he noticed the quintet of bobbing white lights down in the narrow cleft where he had left Harry, Arabella and Ron. Frowning and scurrying away from Snape, Sirius went to see what the other three were up to. As he climbed down into the passage, he noticed a surprising multitude of wands. 

"Hey! What happened? Where'd you find my wand? I suppose that's Snape's too". 

Arabella smiled at him, her teeth glinting in the darkness. 

"Harry was getting bored watching the two of you behaving like the children you're not. He performed quite an impressive disarming spell!" 

"What?! That was you! Give me that!" he roared, grabbing his lighted wand from Ron's grip. 

As Snape climbed into the cleft, conspicuously away from Sirius and Arabella, he snatched his own wand from Arabella and sat down sulkily. Overhead, the silvery spray glittered like a hundred unicorns. Sirius seated himself beside Harry and stared down at him in mock anger. 

"I thought you were supposed to be dying? Yet it seems you still have the strength, not the mention the cheek, to steal my wand..." 

Harry smiled wanly as he continued to shiver. 

"I _am_ dying," he whispered, "That's why I don't have time for your childish behaviour". 

"Hah! Pretty rich coming from the _kid_ who blew up his aunt". 

"I was provoked!" 

"So was I!... Fine, Harry. I'll get him some other time, but I must say I'm disappointed. I would have thought that you, of all people, would be delighted to see me make Snape perform the Quickstep-" 

"From the look on your face, I think you were intending something more than the Quickstep. The last thing you want is to be charged with Snape's murder now that you're going to be free again... Just don't let him get to you. Besides, you know what he said was utter rubbish". 

"Yeah, 'course I do. I'm sorry, Harry. I'll get him later. You can help if you want". 

"Good, I will... Listen, Sirius, this Penna thing is amazing. That was the strongest disarming spell I've ever done". 

"It was alright, I suppose," Sirius admitted grudgingly, "Only I was half-blinded by it. Honestly, I thought You-Know-Who was going to come charging down on me any minute". 

At the look of fright on Harry's pale face, the smile vanished from Sirius' face, and he automatically regretted mentioning Voldemort. The reminder of what Harry had been through that day stirred him into action. 

"Look, Harry. I know you're in pain, but we've got to keep going. Do you think you can handle it?" 

"I wasn't the one who stopped for an impromptu duel!_ I_ was perfectly happy to keep going-" Harry taunted playfully, his spirits apparently rising at the amused expression on his godfather's face. 

Sirius was relieved that Harry could still smile and act somewhat human after all he had been through. He grinned sheepishly and clapped him on the shoulder. 

"Right then. If you can walk, then I can control my temper long enough to get home". 

Arabella faced them and spoke quietly so that Snape had to strain to hear her words. 

"Sorry if this is a stupid question, but would you mind telling me why my suggestion to Apparate was funny?" 

Sirius raised fierce eyes to Snape, daring him to speak. 

"We're still inside the Apparition wards. They extend over the entire island and for quite a distance out to sea," Sirius explained, "And it wasn't a stupid question". 

"How will we find that quay you mentioned? It's too dark," Harry pointed out, voicing Sirius' own concerns. 

"Hmm, well, we can't wait for the daylight. We really have to get out of here quickly. The light from my wand just isn't bright enough to see anything-" 

"Hey! What if-" 

"Oh, God. I can't believe I didn't think of that. Right, everyone!" Sirius called, "On the count of three jump up and throw as many spells as possible! And keep your eyes peeled! One-two-three!" 

As the countdown ended, all five leapt to their feet and frantically hurled curses at the water's edge, each of them trying very hard to think of the few curses they knew that actually produced beams of light. The strand was lit up by a heavenly fireworks display, destroyed fragments of rock and seaweed flying in every direction as the spells impacted with their targets. Sirius felt his heart lift at the sight of so many bright lights exploding in tremendous bursts of colour and illuminating the sharp outline of the cliffs in dazzling displays of red, green, gold and yellow. Presently, he put down his wand in order to scan the area now being lit up with the intensity of a summer morning's sunrise. He almost jumped in delight as, slightly to the east of their position and a short distance out to sea, he saw the unmistakable outline of a black pier. As he turned happily to his companions, he caught Snape's eye and was surprised to see that the other wizard was looking equally pleased. 

"So. Where's your precious sea-arch, Black?" Snape asked in a cold, malicious voice. 

No wonder he was looking so happy, Sirius thought. There was no sign of the arch anywhere. 

"What do you think? It eroded, you git!" Sirius spat, before placing a hand on Arabella's back to tell her to cease casting spells. 

Arabella looked at him hopefully. 

"Did you see it? We were so close all along," she exclaimed. 

"I know, so let there never be another fling at my sense of direction, or lack thereof, ever again!" Sirius retorted as he stood up, "Right, let's go!" 

The walk to the pier turned out to be a lot more difficult than any of them had anticipated. They had to climb over slippery ten-foot high boulders, all the while compensating for the howling gale that constantly tried to toss them into the Irish Sea. Sirius went in front to assist Harry, while Arabella followed with Ron. Last of all came Snape, who kept a close watch over his shoulder for any sign of pursuit. 

Presently they came upon an enormous smooth-surfaced rock, about twice the height of Sirius, that completely dominated their path. Unable to find any imperfections in its flat exterior, Arabella and Sirius employed a mild blasting hex to chisel in some grips for their hands and feet. It was crude but effective, and Sirius stood back to help propel his shorter companions up its front. First went Arabella, who groaned as Sirius' helpful hands accidentally found their way up her robes as he hoisted her towards the lowermost ledge. She kicked him away, none too gently, and managed to scramble up to the peak, where she waited to assist Ron, who had already began his ascent. Being tall and stocky, Ron made it up to Arabella without any assistance, and dropped down the other side. 

"Is the landing okay, Ron?" Arabella called. 

There was a splash and some cursing before Ron's irritated voice floated back over to them, "Yeah, just wet", and then, "Oh, I can see the start of the pier! It's not far at all". 

Sirius grinned at Harry in the darkness and indicated for him to go next. Harry approached the great boulder uncertainly, his eyes searching for the indentations. Sirius walked up behind him and muttered in his ear. 

"Right, up you go. I'll push you up to ledge, and then you just have to pull yourself up to the next one and find a grip for your feet. Ready?" 

Harry looked like he would never be ready, but nevertheless he extended his arms and bent his knees to spring up the side of the rock. He was still a good deal shorter than Ron, despite the growth spurt he had exhibited over the past few months, but had more sense than to feel any embarrassment at his small stature, and was therefore grateful for the assistance. Sirius took hold of his waist to hoist him up to the ledge, and Harry jumped. 

"You got it?" Sirius called breathlessly, still supporting his godson's legs. 

"Yeah," came the feeble reply, followed by, "Uh, no," and Harry slid back down, cradling his grazed elbows. 

Snape made some impatient noises but Sirius took no notice. 

"Okay? Ready to try again?" he asked after Harry had gotten his breath back. 

Harry's shoulders slumped resignedly and he turned back around to face the rock. 

"All right, just hold on tight when you find the ledge and try to pull yourself up quickly". 

"Right," Harry agreed with greater confidence than he felt. 

The second attempt was even less successful than the first, with Harry's feeble limbs refusing to propel him up the sharp slope. After a few increasingly exasperated attempts, Harry sank to his knees, gasping for air. The effort involved left him exhausted and glaring at the rock in despair. Sirius was still debating what to do, when there was a sudden commotion at the peak of the boulder. Almost immediately, Ron came racing down the front of the smooth surface head-first, stopping abruptly half-way down. 

"Harry, hold onto my arms. Arabella will pull us up". 

Sirius spluttered in amazement and glanced up at the top of the boulder, where Arabella was gripping tightly onto Ron's ankles. 

"Geez!" he exclaimed, "Hold on, 'Bella, I'll give you a hand". 

With that, Sirius sprang nimbly up the rock and took a tight hold of Ron's ankles. 

"All right, Harry," Arabella called, "Whenever you're ready-" 

"Right now would be good!" Ron moaned through clenched teeth, "They're cutting off my circulation". 

It wasn't long before Harry had made it over the rock along with Ron, Sirius and Arabella. Arabella forced them to wait until Snape had joined them, much to Sirius' regret, before setting off on the last leg of their journey. The long pier stretched out into the choppy sea before their eyes, its immense structure flooded with the water that continually crashed against its shallow sides. It resembled a long, narrow wall of rock, completely exposed with no rails to protect those who walked on it. In the illumination cast by another barage of disarming spells, Sirius could discern small mooring posts dotted along its length, but no sailors were foolish enough to moor their vessels in such an open, unprotected location. Sirius' attention was drawn however to a tiny shelter located near the pier's seafront edge. He had been there once before, on his arrival at Azkaban fourteen years ago. It was there that he had been handed the Portkey that had taken him to his miserable cell. 

The five approached the pier cautiously, not wanting to be taken unawares by any remaining Dementors or Death Eaters. They halted at its nearest end, eying the watery, windswept gauntlet in fear. Finally Sirius spoke. 

"Look, you all had better wait here. I'll run across as Padfoot and see if I can find a Portkey. It'll be easier as a dog. Lower centre of gravity, you know?" 

"Be careful, Sirius," Arabella reminded him, "You may have more to deal with out there than the elements". 

Sirius gave her a quick peck on the cheek, before dropping on all fours and transfiguring into Padfoot. Arabella ruffled his wet fur a little, and then jammed Sirius' wand into the impressive jaws. She watched anxiously as, with a playful bark and waggling of his tail, he bounded away down the blackened pier. 

*** 

Draco sat shivering on the damp floor with his knees pulled up against his chin, not caring that the hem of his exclusive Dahlia Diggle robes was resting in a pool of brown, sandy mud. His eyes travelled nervously from the green, tennis ball-sized orb lying in the palm of his hand to the pair of hooded Dementors standing in the corner, facing him hungrily but not daring to approach; nor would they, since he was their master, the provider of living prey from which they could feed and add to their hideous population. They obediently kept their distance from him, occasionally sucking in the already cool air in long, low hisses. Right now, however, Draco could tell that they were becoming impatient for the promised feast at Hogwarts, the feast that he was supposed to provide, the feast that he was too cowardly to attend. 

He shook his head as if trying to banish the myriad of thoughts and regrets now threatening to overcome his ingrained stony reserve. Why had he gotten himself into this mess? What on earth was he doing sitting in a freezing cold, well, "hut," he decided was the only word for it, much to his disgust, in the company of two extremely dull Dementors? This wasn't exactly the glory he had been told to expect, but then again, he couldn't blame his father for misleading him. No doubt Lord Voldemort had told him to recruit his son using whatever empty promises he deemed necessary, and it would certainly be a lot easier to lie to one's son than to defy the Dark Lord. Draco knew perfectly well how terrible Voldemort could be. He had the agonising evidence of that on his own forearm. No, his father had certainly done the right thing. At least, Draco could not say that he would have acted any differently had he been in his father's position. 

As his arm began to ache once more, Draco shifted the small, green ball into his other hand in order to scratch at the inflamed skin. The sight of the Dark Mark on his smooth, pale skin, a sixteenth birthday gift from his parents, always filled him with hatred and disgust, and he looked away while continuing to rub it. A wizard's word of honour wasn't enough for Voldemort. He had to brand his servants, mutilate their bodies, thus offering them a constant reminder of their lowly position in the grander scheme of things. It did not seem right, however, to treat a Malfoy like some lowly farm animal. How was he supposed to feel honoured to bear that mark when it only reminded him of the methods used by Muggle farmers to designate their cattle and sheep? He felt dirty, abused, unimportant. He desperately wanted rid of it, but knew that its removal was impossible. The Dark Mark would remain on his skin throughout his life, an eternal relic of his cowardice and weakness. Potter's gang would laugh at his discomfort the way they laughed at Snape. 

The Dark Mark continued to burn dully on his arm, but still Draco did not rise from his position on the floor. What would his father say when he didn't show up for the attack? Voldemort would certainly be furious. _Father will have to disown me; that's what I'd do._ _Damn it. Why did the Dark Lord have to return? This is all bloody Potter's fault, of course. If he hadn't been so desperate to show off and take part in that tournament, it would never have happened. And Potter still has the nerve to think he can go around the school feeling sorry for himself, teary-eyed over Cedric Diggory! It serves him bloody right. Father was right: he's far too cocky for his own good. Deserves everything he gets..._

The Dementors suddenly glided stealthily forward, their breath rattling excitedly. Draco frowned and extinguished his wand, his ears straining for whatever sound had distracted his long-robed companions. He could hear nothing above the wind whistling through the creaky floorboards and the waves crashing against the rocks outside. _Oh, I'll just let them handle it. _Silently, Draco opened the wooden door, admitting a great gust of air. He directed the Dementors outside onto the pier and then returned to the hut, shutting the door behind him. He tightened his grip on the small, green sphere in his hand.If anything happened, at least he would be able to make a fast getaway. 

Draco waited impatiently in the darkness, peering through the only window in an attempt to identify the intruder. Most likely it would be one of the Death Eaters, probably his father, coming to investigate his delay. What would he say? As possible excuses began to circulate in his mind, he thought he heard the swift, echoing tramping of many heavy feet. Astonished, he ran to the door and opened it slightly, squinting out into the night air while protecting as much of his body inside the hut as possible. Suddenly, two black shadows whisked past him and dropped off the end of the pier to land in the tumultuous waters with an inaudible splash. Something enormous and silver raced after them, sprinting off into thin air and vanishing. 

As frightened as he was, Draco's curiosity got the better of him and he stepped soundlessly outside, pulling the hood of his cloak over his blonde hair against the icy spray. There was no sign of the Dementors. Raising his wand before him, and clutching the green ball in his other hand, he edged down to the end of the pier to see what had fallen down into the sea. The waves smashed madly against the rocks below him, but he could see nothing floating in its surging depths. 

Something was moving behind him. Draco quickly straightened his back, inhaling deeply and biting his lower lip.He stood quite still, his wand still held out in front of him over the water. He closed his eyes for a moment, steeling himself; then he swung around. The gale whipped his hood down, but at exactly the same moment he heard a hoarse voice cry out from directly in front of him, "_Expecto Patronum!_". His eyes opened wide in astonishment, but were suddenly blinded as he found himself facing the crazed face of a charging silver lion. The next thing he knew he was falling, and then terrible, all-embracing icy pain hit him with the force of a hundred knives. 

*** 

As Sirius approached the dark, make-shift cahin he transformed back into human form, and almost immediately felt a wave of cold pierce his bones that he knew to be unconnected to the turbulent storm surrounding the exposed pier. There were Dementors here, of this he was certain. Already he could sense the gloom pervading his thoughts, making him tremble with fear and anticipation. He toyed with the idea of transfiguring back into Padfoot, but unfortunately that would make it impossible for him to look into the only window that stood at eye-level in the cabin's timber walls. He had to know what he was up against, so changing into a dog and just pushing his way in would be a very bad idea indeed. Although he could only sense a few Dementors, he had no way of knowing if anyone else was in the cabin, Death Eaters for instance. No, he decided, he would have to remain in human form and either run or fight if he encountered resistance. Running seemed considerably more attractive considering his past difficulties conjuring a Patronus. Somehow he doubted that one lesson from his godson in a filthy prison cell at Azkaban had been enough to improve his skills in fighting Dementors by any great amount. Nevertheless, he decided to draw his wand, just in case. 

He edged up to the window, trying not to make a sound, but as he lined his back against the wall the cold and the sadness he had been feeling for the past while suddenly intensified. His vision clouded over in a strange white mist, and he steadied himself against the timber frame unaware of the noise he was making. The high-pitched voice of Peter Pettigrew filled his ears, shaking with forced accusation and fury. 

_"James and Lily, Sirius! How could you?"_

_All around him, onlookers were pointing, their faces appalled at the emotional scene unfolding in the street amidst the celebrations. Some wore robes, some wore school uniforms, some wore suits and casual Muggle clothes. All, however, wore an identical expression of anxiety tinged with fear. It was as if they knew what was about to happen._

_"You betrayed James and Lily!"_

_He could feel his face reddening at the unexpected public encounter. Suddenly, he regretted not following Peter to a deserted alley afterall. This was not what he had intended. Peter's eyes were crazed, calculating. He was hiding his hands under the folds of his robes. They were twitching, holding something. What was he doing? Peter closed his eyes as a red stain began to spread through the front of his robes. He took out his hands. One of them had a finger missing! It was spurting blood from its severed stub. He slowly drew his wand and pointed it behind his back..._

His thoughts were drowning in the thick mist as he fell deeper and deeper into oblivion. 

_Fletcher's voice was now speaking to him as he struggled up from the ground, dazed and bleeding from the explosion._

_"Black? Get up, now! You're under arrest for the murder of these innocent people. Don't ask for a lawyer; you won't get one. I'll see you get the Kiss for this... Azkaban would be too kind..."_

_And now he was laughing, not from amusement but from sheer incredulity and shock. This couldn't be happening. They could not possibly believe he had killed all these people. Were they mad? No, they would see sense soon. Moony would prove his innocence, or Arabella..._

Arabella... As her image floated into his mind, so some flicker of warmth returned to his stiff and frozen body. Sirius opened his eyes to find himself lying on the ground. His face was wet and raw from tears, his wand had slipped out of his hands onto the flooded pier. He felt terribly weak and shaky, but forced himself to take his wand and stand. Slowly he got to his feet, running a hand distractedly through his long locks. As his vision cleared somewhat he saw two towering black forms gliding towards him. 

He would not run away, leaving Arabella and the others vulnerable. He would stay and fight as bravely as Harry had only hours ago. Harry... Concentrating very hard on the moment when his infant godson, whom he had thought to be dead, had cried out and clutched Lily's corpse with his tiny, white hand, he yelled the incantation. 

"_Expecto Patronum!_" 

Miraculously, and for the first time in his life, something happened. His Patronus burst from the end of his wand and charged down the Dementors, sending them into the choppy sea below. He watched in amazement and delight as the beautiful, proud, silver lion raced off into the night, its shaggy mane billowing in the wind. Sirius thought that he had never seen anything so inspiring in his entire life. He longed for it to return so that he could stroke its fur, but it was already gone. _A lion! If only James were here to see this..._

Sighing, he stood still for awhile in the shadow of the cabin, gazing out to sea and feeling happier and stronger than he had felt in a long time. It was several minutes before he became aware of the short, hooded figure walking to the pier's edge and looking down at the waves. 

Sirius strode confidently after the Dementor and aimed his wand at it, smiling in anticipation. After a moment, it began to turn around. 

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ Sirius cried out, delighted. _I think I'm getting the hang of this! It's so easy..._

Once again the noble lion took flight, right as a tremendous gust of wind caught the dementor's hood. It was blown back to reveal a youthful head of shocking, blonde hair. As the Patronus charged down the stunned boy, Sirius started forward in surprise. He raced to the brink of the quay, and pointed his wand at the water. 

"_Accio!_" 

It worked. The heavy, soaked body of Draco Malfoy shot out of the water and collided with him head on. They both fell to the ground, shivering and astonished. 

*** 

Harry sat drenched in the lee of a rock at the land-side edge of the pier, waiting for Sirius to return with the Portkey. A strange, relaxing sense of unreality was on him now, and he found it difficult to exhibit the same degree of impatience and anxiety as his three companions, who kept pacing up and down and making him dizzy. Some small, sleepy part of his mind told him that his godfather was in extreme danger, that he had walked out on a narrow, unsheltered pier in the middle of a storm to try to steal a Portkey from the Dementors, but unfortunately that knowledge only occurred to him in brief flashes of sensibility. Most of the time he remained blissfully unaware of the precariousness of his situation, conscious only of the heaviness of his body and the rain that kept sheeting down on his head. He no longer felt cold, just dreadfully and almost overwhelmingly tired. His eyelids blinked of their own accord, but he kept them open owing to some subconscious instinct telling him it was important that he remain awake. The decision was not consciously made; rather his mind just seemed to know what to do. 

Fretfully, his numb fingers fumbled over the neck of his saturated robes, trying to lift the warm, wet fabric away from his chest, but to no avail. His clothing seemed to weigh a tonne as it clung to his weakened frame, and his fingers were determined not to obey the instructions from his brain. It didn't really matter anyway, Harry thought vaguely, smiling to himself in the darkness. 

Ron had finally stopped pacing and sat down next to him; at least judging from the orange blur before his eyes, Harry assumed it was Ron. Giddily, he laughed at the idea that maybe it wasn't Ron at all, but Snape with a new hair colour, causing him to giggle uncontrollably and almost drunkenly with amusement. Ron was peering down at him curiously, a small, confused smile spreading reluctantly over his concerned expression. He began to speak. What was he saying? Something about flying motorbikes, no doubt. _Yes, they're far too expensive these days... Very hard to come by... I think I was on one once, though..._

Harry felt very strange indeed. His body felt heavy, yet his mind felt light, and he put his hands down onto the ground to steady himself against the ethereal floating sensation now bathing him in a misty glow. Ron's voice sounded funny to his ears too, unusually high-pitched and mature, but also familiar. Was he still going on about those damn motorbikes? _God, I wish he'd shut up._

"Shurrup, Ron....bloody mo'orbikes," he slurred. 

Why was Ron looking at him like he was some kind of headcase? You just couldn't have an intelligent conversation with a Weasley, he thought sadly. But now two other people were sitting down. _Oh great, now they want to chat too. Why do I always attract these maniacs?_

"Harry?" the woman asked, looking at him closely. 

"What?" he replied crisply, startling Ron. 

"Are you okay?" she continued. 

"Of course I am... " said Harry impatiently, now gazing curiously at the annoying woman's companion. He was tall and pale, with messy black hair blowing in the wind. Harry was sure he knew this man from somewhere. The image of those warm, brown eyes stirred up confused images in his mind of a terrible, hairy monster attacking an innocent victim against the light of a full moon. Boldly, the pale man rescued the unfortunate victim from the creature and pulled him to safety. Harry had heard that story before. Suddenly, it all made sense. This had to be his father! 

Harry stared up at Snape admiringly, proud to be related to such a brave, heroic figure, and tried to sit up. It was painful to move. 

"Dad? Would you just give me a hand here?" he tried weakly, his eyes travelling from those of his father to Ron's appalled face. Harry felt a little hurt that Ron refused to be happy for him. He obviously didn't understand what it meant to him to finally see his father alive after so many years. 

"Dad?" he croaked again, with a slight edge to his voice. 

Why was his father ignoring him? 

Ah, the woman was poking his father in the side now to make him pay attention. He obviously hadn't heard his son calling to him. Harry looked up at him again, pleadingly. 

"When are we going home, Dad?" 

"What are you talking about, Potter?" he questioned harshly. 

Harry turned tearfully to Ron, confused. He couldn't understand why his father was being so mean to him. He had always been told that his father loved him, that he had died to save him. How could he be so cold and formal? 

"Dad, please, have I done something wrong?" he blurted, feeling his throat beginning to constrict. 

Ron and that irritating woman were laughing at him now. Maybe this was all some elaborate trick they were playing on him. 

"You will address me as Professor Snape, Potter!" his father snarled. 

In that instant, Harry realised what was happening. This wasn't his beloved father at all, but his arch enemy, Lord Voldemort. He couldn't understand how he hadn't seen it at once. This man looked nothing like his father. He had a cruel face, and his hair, although the right colour, was lank and greasy. He wasn't even wearing spectacles! It was one of the most pathetic disguises Harry had ever seen. With lightning speed, he shot his hand down to the pocket in his robes and took out his wand, pointing it squarely at Voldemort's chest. 

"Avada ke- Ow!" 

Ron had jumped on top of him and grabbed his wand. Harry felt too tired for a fight. He relaxed and lay back down against the cold rock. Ron could deal with Voldemort himself. He was well able for that now. Closing his eyes wearily, Harry realised with a start that he had forgotten to leave out the note for the milkman. Aunt Petunia would be furious when she woke up to find three pints too many on the doorstep. She hated to see food going to waste. Groaning slightly, Harry struggled up from the mattress, muttering something about the milk, but he couldn't get up. Someone was holding him down. Looking around in confusion, he was surprised to see his aunt restraining him. Well, if that was her game she could see to the milkman herself then, Harry thought angrily. He turned over on the lumpy bed and tried to get back to sleep, but it was no use. Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley had just arrived, soaking wet. Harry thumped the ground weakly in despair. Could he not have even a second's peace in this damn house? 

*** 

Sirius struggled to free himself from the mass of wet clothing tying him to the blonde-haired boy, whom he had accidentally thrown over the pier. As he finally emerged from under the boy's not-inconsiderable water-logged weight, he realised with a start that he was looking into the face of a young and very soggy Lucius Malfoy, fair hair clinging to his pale, pointed face and heavy, expensive robes dripping everywhere. With robes like that it was a wonder he hadn't sunk to the bottom at once, Sirius noted vaguely as he tapped the boy's back, helping him to expel the water now spluttering from his lungs. _So this is Draco Malfoy... Don't know what Harry finds so threatening... looks innocent enough to me..._

The boy shrugged him off at once and swelled indignantly. 

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded haughtily in between coughs. 

Sirius checked the kind inquiry he was about to make regarding the boy's health. 

"Oh, I'm just the git who rescued you from the water. No need to thank me," he stated nonchalantly. 

"I was not intending to, since you are also the git who knocked me in there in the first place," Draco snapped. "I'll ask you again, who are you?" 

"I'm Sirius Black. You, no doubt, are Draco Malfoy". 

"Sirius Black... I should have recognised you from your filthy appearance". 

Sirius raised an eyebrow and felt his cheeks redden. Who did this kid think he was, speaking to an adult like that? Besides, he wasn't _that_ scruffy, Sirius decided, surveying himself as discretely as possible. He'd just had a long day. 

"You don't look so suave and sophisticated yourself," he snapped. "Now, what are you doing out here on your own?" 

Draco began to open his mouth to speak, but apparently thought the better of it. Sirius noticed this but said nothing. 

"Is your father around here?" he asked instead. 

"No. Father is-is-away on business," Draco stammered, not looking the older wizard in the eye, speaking as if it was a perfectly normal everyday occurence to find an upperclass Pureblood wizard standing on a pier in Azkaban. 

"I see," Sirius began, "Would that business be taking him to Hogwarts, by any chance?" 

Draco's head snapped up at the mention of his school. He seemed to be considering his reply carefully. 

"What does it matter to you?" 

"It matters because your _master_, and I'm not referring to your father, mentioned something about an attack on Hogwarts. You know what his plans are-" 

"First of all, he's not my master. I am my own master. Second, even if I did know anything about this alleged attack, you are the last person I would discuss it with, since I'm not in the habit of sharing confidences with escaped murderers-" 

Sirius had to work hard to control his temper at Malfoy's cheek. He was so angry that it didn't even occur to him that, as a Death Eater, Draco Malfoy would surely know of his innocence; he was just trying to offend him, and succeeding. 

With forced calm, Sirius began, "Draco-" 

"Don't call me that!" he pouted, looking like a sulky teenager. 

Sirius tried hard not to grin. 

"I thought that was your name". 

"Not to you, it isn't. You can call me Malfoy. That's what Potter always says". 

"Alright, Malfoy. Harry's here, you know. He escaped from the Dark Lord yet again," Sirius explained, noticing how Draco winced at the words _yet again_, "But he's been poisoned, and he's dying-" 

"Oh, my heart goes out to poor pathetic Potter! Like I care, if he dies". 

"I don't believe you'd really be glad if he died," Sirius told him pointedly. 

"Of course I would. I hate him. He hates me-" 

"Harry hates nobody. I don't think he's capable of hatred, having been touched by so much love". 

"Give me a bag, I think I'm going to vomit". 

"Oh, grow up! A boy's life is at stake here," Sirius yelled, becoming increasingly tired of Malfoy's childish behaviour. 

Draco said nothing, but glared sullenly back at him. 

"Now, look. We need a Portkey off this island. I know they used to keep them in that shed-" 

"There are none left. I was in charge of distributing them to the dementors. They have all gone to Hogwarts now-" 

"Oh God, what are we going to do?" Sirius wailed. 

"If you'd just cut the hysterics for a moment, I was about to say that they have all gone to Hogwarts, except for this one". 

Draco opened his palm to reveal a small, green sphere about the same size as a tennis ball. 

"That's a Portkey?" Sirius gasped incredulously. "It's not like any Portkey I've ever seen". 

"The Dark Lord is an exceptionally talented Portkey designer. This is a recent innovation used for mass movements of his army. It can transport up to a dozen people simultaneously to any destination the controller wishes". 

"Brilliant! Give it to me!" Sirius said. 

"Here, but I don't think you'll find it very useful. It only responds to a controller bearing the Dark Mark". 

"Not a problem," Sirius stated cheerfully, "You'll do nicely-" 

"I'm not going anywhere with you, or Potter!" 

"Oh, you want to stay here and freeze to death, do you?" 

"Better that than being cursed to death!" 

"Draco-" 

"Malfoy!" 

"Sorry, Malfoy. Look, if you come with me now and make your loyalties clear, it will be within my power to protect you. I am a member of an ancient organisation that was set up to oppose evil in all its forms. We have protected Harry, and-" 

"Yes, I know about the Order of the Phoenix...What about Father? He'd kill me, or disown me". 

"You're old enough to make your own choices now. Do you really want to dedicate your life to killing innocent people and serving a tyrant who would punish you for a second of doubt? There are other forms of power, besides fear and domination. Look at Albus Dumbledore! Look at... Severus Snape". 

"What about Snape?" 

"Well, I never thought I would see him turn his back on the Dark Lord, but he did, and do you know why?" 

Draco shook his head but listened raptly. 

"Because he realised that in having the courage to abandon what he knew to be wrong, he became powerful. The Dark Lord does not offer power, Malfoy, but domination, the opportunity to become a slave. Surely, you must see that". 

"I don't know... If I go with you, Father-" 

"I know it's a lot to ask, but believe me, you don't want to live your father's life. Come back to Hogwarts with me now. You will see what your father has become: a mere slave fighting a losing battle simply because he is too frightened of what his master will do to him if he refuses". 

"What do you mean a _losing_ battle?" 

"They don't stand a chance against Hogwarts, Malfoy. I helped Dumbledore improve the protections upon it myself only last month". 

"Yes, but the Dark Lord has over three thousand Dementors, not to mention all the Death Eaters..." 

"It would take much more than that to defeat Albus Dumbledore! Why do you think You-Know-Who has always been so frightened of him?" 

Draco remained silent for a moment, considering. 

"Are you sure the attack will fail?" he asked shrewdly. 

"Positive... Let's go before we drown out here, eh?" 

"Okay, I'll go with you, but that doesn't mean I'm, 'making my loyalties clear'. I haven't decided yet. I'll just keep an open mind for now". 

"That's good enough for me. Oh, and Malfoy? Please don't tell Snape I tried to suggest him as some sort of role-model for you, okay?" 

Draco laughed heartily, before asking, "Is Snape here, too?" 

"Yes, why do you ask?" 

"I'm surprised you trust him, since he used to be a Death Eater and all". 

"I'm trusting _you_, am I not?" 

"That's different". 

"No it's not. Now, hurry up!" 

At this, Sirius grabbed Draco by the arm and raced down the remainder of the pier, clutching the Portkey in his other hand. Draco Malfoy had surprised him somewhat in his willingness to actually listen to what he had to say. Perhaps the boy wasn't a lost cause after all, Sirius thought glumly, but then, it had not escaped his notice that Draco had only agreed to disobey his father when assured that the attack on Hogwarts would fail. In this he was demonstrating the characteristic Slytherin nack for backing the winning side, a fact that did not fill Sirius with confidence for the boy's redemption.. 

Draco was still, without question, his father's son, with the same degree of arrogance, self-importance and cunning as the older Malfoy, but at least he was intelligent enough not to be brainwashed with Voldemort's propaganda. He was willing to listen to reason and to make informed decisions about his future. It now seemed, however, that that future could go either way, to darkness or light, depending on the events of the following few days. Sirius decided he would need to speak to Dumbledore about the protections that would have to be put in place to guarantee his safety. Whether Draco would be willing to accept them or not would be a different matter entirely. Sirius doubted he would adjust well to a life away from his mansion and servants and expensive robes. Hopefully, he would have the maturity to accept that it was for the best. 

Sirius and Draco had to watch their step carefully on account of the sudden enormous waves that broke periodically over the rocky platform, but thankfully the two of them finally made it safely back to Arabella, Harry and Snape. Sirius could tell from the looks on their faces, however, that something was very wrong. Snape was sitting away from the other two, and glaring in the opposite direction with an even greater scowl than usual. Ron and Arabella were both sitting beside Harry, who seemed to be asleep, but they appeared quite worried and afraid. 

As soon as Ron clapped eyes on Draco, he emitted a most unbecoming squeal, rousing Harry from his sleep. 

"You!" Ron roared, seething with rage, "You! I-I-I" 

"Yes, well done, Weasley. You've identified us both now. Perhaps next time you can work on recognising these other people-" 

Ron sprang forward, squaring his fist for the attack, but Sirius quickly restrained him. Draco did not flinch, but stood erect over him, as if trying to emphasise his superior class. 

"I'd forgotten just how coarse you are, Weasel. You know, in the wizarding world we usually fight with wands rather than fists-" Draco sneered. 

"That's enough, Malfoy!" growled Sirius, "Stop trying to provoke him!" 

"I don't have to try. He has the brawling gene in his blood. I think he inherited it from his father-" 

"Don't you dare start on about my family again, Malfoy. I've seen _your_ family. Your Mum must tie weights to the back of her head to keep her nose that high-" 

Despite his best efforts, Sirius found it hard to stifle a giggle. He knew Narcissa Malfoy, and Ron certainly had a point. Draco was ready with a comeback, however. 

"Whereas your mother can't keep hers out of the gutter, sniffing for food!" 

"Stop it at once!" Arabella demanded, without raising her voice. Draco paled before her stern expression and retreated. He joined Snape away from the others and they talked quietly. 

Arabella continued, "Now, Sirius, what is Lucius Malfoy's son doing here?" 

"He was the one who bloody caught me and brought me here!" Ron blurted angrily. 

Arabella quieted him with a single glance. 

"His father left him the job of distributing these Portkeys to the Dementors," Sirius said. 

"That's a strange-looking Portkey," she noted, admiring the glassy, emerald orb in Sirius' hand. 

"Yeah, apparently You-Know-Who invented it himself". 

"Interesting...Then they've gone to Hogwarts?" 

"Yes. Draco here has kindly agreed to take us there since only he, or Snape, can activate the Portkey". 

Arabella spoke in an undertone, "Can we trust him?" 

"I believe so, for now". 

"Very well. We should leave at once. Harry's burning up and he seems delirious". 

"Right. Malfoy, will you do the honours?" Sirius called, offering him the Portkey. 

"We have to hold onto each other. Only I should touch the Portkey. Ready?" 

There was a chorus of affirmative grunts as everybody held hands and Draco placed his own over the sphere. Quietly, he whispered over and over so that his voice could hardly be heard above the rhythmic crashing of the waves, "_Hogwarts... Hogwarts... Hogwarts..."_

Sirius held his breath as the dark, nightmarish coast began to swirl around in great bursts of colour like a film of oil in a roadside puddle. All the while, Draco's light, concentrated voice continued to utter in the distance, sounding very far away but also strangely comforting. _Hogwarts... Hogwarts... _The thought of his old school filled him with a warmth and a joy that surpassed even that he had experienced at finally conjuring his own Patronus. Soon they would be safe. Dumbledore would help find a cure for Harry, he, Sirius would have his name cleared publicly, he would take Arabella out for that romantic bike ride... Feeling lighter than he had in a long time, he let his feet be whipped off the rocks by the holy power drawing him away from the darkness and filth, and relaxed into the sensation of having his body tugged roughly from somewhere behind his navel. Feverishly, he gripped Harry's unresponsive hand tightly lest he should fall, while also aware of Arabella clinging tightly to his other hand. Almost immediately, however, the sensation ended, the colours began to assume form and depth and he felt solid earth beneath his feet.   
Before he could get his bearings, something strong walloped him on the shoulder, making his knees buckle. 

"Well, if it isn' young Sirius Black! How are yeh, then? Wet, I see! Come fer the fun, eh?" a cheerful, powerful voice boomed from behind. 

"Hagrid! Good God, you frightened me to death... Ah, Hogwarts!" Sirius cried, smiling from the giant standing before him to the majestic towers sweeping up into the sky. 

Evidently they had arrived a short distance from the castle, beyond its extreme western perimeter. Sirius could scarcely believe his eyes, however, at the great multitude of people standing around him and his five companions in the light of a large campfire. There must have been hundreds of men and women, and other creatures, some dressed as wizards and witches, others dressed less formally, some at least as tall and impressive as Hagrid, and all brandishing weapons of some description: swords, spears, wands, axes... 

"Dumbledore said ter expect yeh...'Lo, 'Bella, Professor Snape," Hagrid beamed, intentionally ignoring Draco and the small unidentifiable heap lying on the ground beside him. "An' Ron too. Heard yeh've been causin' trouble, an' all". 

The smile quickly vanished from Ron's face and he went to sit next to Harry, whom Hagrid did not seem to have recognised. 

"Hagrid! Who are all these people?" Sirius exclaimed, incredulously. 

"Ah, well. as ter that... Me and Olympe 'ave been busy, roundin' up the giants ter protect the castle, an' the rest are your lot". 

"That's amazing!" 

"Good timin' is what it is," Hagrid chortled, looking very pleased with himself, "Those Dementors won' 'alf know wha' hit 'em. Can' say I'm too sorry for 'em". 

"Where are they? I thought they'd be here by now". 

"Oh, they're 'ere all right. Regroupin' down at the gates an' aroun' Hogsmeade. Yeh don't want ter go down there fer any money jus' yet". 

"But we have to get into the castle! Harry's been poisoned," Sirius shouted wildly. 

"Harry?" Hagrid roared, looking suddenly concerned. 

He bent down to examine Harry's flushed and unconscious face, cringing at the heat radiating through his soaking robes. 

"No way in, I'm tellin' yeh, Sirius. Dumbledore said to tell yeh to head down ter Godric's Hollow, bu' he wasn' expectin' nothin' like this. I don' know wha' else ter say..." 

Sirius remained silent for a moment, thinking. 

"There's a secret passage we could take from Honeydukes-" 

Ron's ears suddenly pricked up at these words, and he turned guiltily to Harry's dreaming face. Fortunately nobody noticed as Hagrid shook his head at Sirius. 

"Can' get in there, like I told yeh. Dementors and Death Eaters are swarmin' the place-" 

"I'll go," Snape suddenly hissed from behind, "I'll have a better chance of getting past them if I'm alone. Besides, I'm the only one who can make that antidote. Take Potter to Godric's Hollow, Black, and I'll join you as soon as I can". 

"How are _you_ going to get past the Death Eaters? They know you're a spy now," Sirius stated impatiently. 

"Here," Draco piped up from behind, "You can borrow this. I'm sure it's the least Potter can do". 

With that, he removed something smooth and silky from inside his robes. It shimmered magically in the moonlight as Draco held it up for all to see. 

"The Invisibility Cloak! How did you get this, Draco?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. 

"For the last time, call me Malfoy!" Draco roared petulantly. 

"He stole it from me!" Ron exclaimed, pointing a long finger at the other boy. 

Everyone turned accusingly to Draco. 

"Well, you stole it from _him_," he snarled, looking over at Harry. 

"Two wrongs don't make a right-" Ron began. 

"Oh, honestly. Can't you do better than hackneyed Muggle proverbs?" 

"Be quiet Malfoy, Ron!" Arabella insisted, looking at the cloak with sudden intensity, "Severus is right-" 

Sirius looked at her hurtfully, but she continued. 

"Severus _is_ right. The only way we're going to get that antidote is if he goes in alone. Take the cloak, Severus, and be careful!" 

"Very well." 

Snape snatched the cloak from Draco's reluctant hands and glided away, throwing the garment over his shoulders as he walked. He soon vanished from sight. Arabella turned to Draco. 

"Will that Portkey take us to Godric's Hollow?" 

"I suppose," the blonde boy muttered, looking longingly after the cloak. As soon as he intercepted the impatient expression on Arabella's face, however, he answered more convincingly, "It can take us anywhere". 

"Right," she continued decisively, "Hagrid, have you enough people here, or should I stay?" 

"Very good o' yeh, 'Bella, but yeh look done in. You an' all, Sirius. Dumbledore tol' me yer good news, by the way. I've never been more ashamed o' meself, believin' yeh capable of that-" 

"Hagrid, it's okay. The whole world thought me capable of it," Sirius spoke comfortingly, amazed and flattered to see tears welling up in the half-giant's eyes. 

"No, no. I should've known, an' yeh were such a great kid an' all," he sobbed, "Go on ter Godric's Hollow now, and get yer rest. We'll manage 'ere". 

"Okay, thanks Hagrid. Before I go, though, I was just wondering about my bike-" 

"Thanks, Hagrid. Good luck!" Arabella called, grabbing Sirius roughly by the arm and walking over to Draco and Harry. "When you're ready, Draco. Godric's Hollow". 

"It's Malfoy," he hissed, sighing in resignation. "Okay, _Godric's Hollow... Godric's Hollow..."_

As the world dissolved around him once more, Sirius heard a full, throaty laugh and Hagrid's voice calling, "She's alive an' well, Sirius, don' fret!" Smiling impulsively, Sirius let the colours carry him off to Godric's Hollow, and a well-earned rest.   
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: Sorry! I told a lie. This isn't the last chapter, but you guessed that, didn't you. There's **one more** left, and only one this time. I promise :o) These loose ends don't tie themselves up, you know! In the next part we'll finally discover the full truth about Sirius' inprisonment, the depth of Fudge's stupidity and of Fletcher's cruelty, how Harry will fare from his terrible ordeal, and what kind of a reception Ron will find waiting for him back at the Burrow. Oh, and sexy Sirius in leather, of course (Just pretend you're Arabella!). Plus, what will Draco decide about his future? And much, much more...So, look out for it! I also must apologise for taking so long with this chapter, despite my best intentions to get it out sooner. All I can say is, I did my best. Special thanks as ever to all the wonderful, beautiful people who reviewed last time and made me ever so happy. I love you all! Yuck... And extra, extra special thanks to Coqui, who is a simply brilliant beta-reader (everyone go read her fics! Do it now! I command you!). Without her, you probably wouldn't have been able to read this chapter for the grammar and punctuation errors. You rock, Coqui! 

Pleiades.   
  



	21. ChapterXXI

The Secret Keeper 21

The Secret Keeper   
Chapter XXI

Harry awoke with a start and gasped for air, his emerald green eyes darting wildly around the familiar Gryffindor boy's dormitory at Hogwarts. Instinctively, he reached with one hand for the pair of black, round-rimmed spectacles that lay on his bedside table, while his other hand searched under the hard pillow for his wand. Frowning slightly, he tried to remember the events that had led to his being here, lying shivering in his bed in Gryffindor Tower, but surprisingly no explanation was forthcoming. He could not even recall going to bed the previous night, nor indeed had he any recollection of the term's lessons that he had surely attended in this, his fifth year of education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

The room around him presented a starkly normal situation, only adding to Harry's sense of bewilderment and unease. Evidently, he had been the only occupant of the dormitory to have forgotten to draw the crimson hangings around his bed the previous night. The other four boys were all concealed from view behind their velvety drapes, clothes and shoes lying discarded on the floor in a disordered heap. The dawn sun crept sleepily through the tower window, throwing Ron's immense four-poster into sharp relief and casting thick, dark shadows over the rest of the room. Harry shivered in the cool shade, vaguely wondering at the stale, musty odour emanating from his normally warm and cosy bed linen. His bed felt wrong, the mattress too crisp and unyielding beneath his back to be even remotely inviting. 

He supposed he had simply had another nightmare. That would account for the feeling of ominous dread now consuming his spirit and rendering him dull-witted and disorientated as he swung his feet out of bed and crossed the room. Certainly, the image of a surging ocean seemed to have become imprinted on his mind, causing him to tremble at the memory of a piercing cold and icy rain driving down upon his shoulders in sheets. It wouldn't be the first time that a dream had unnerved him, but on this occasion, something significant seemed to be absent. His scar was not hurting. 

As he approached the mirror, Harry stowed his wand in the pocket of - his school robes? Had he not just awoken in his pyjamas? Nervously, he turned around to survey his bed, wondering if he had simply changed his clothing without thinking, but there was no sign of his pyjamas. Breathing deeply, he tried to dismiss these strange thoughts from his mind and continued over to the washstand, above which hung the old round mirror with its lavish gilt frame. His hands toyed nervously with his unruly, black hair in an attempt to flatten it as he went. To his great surprise, the mirror had apparently forgotten to mock his useless efforts. 

Shrugging gently, Harry reached up to trace the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. There was still no unpleasant stinging sensation, as he would normally have expected after a nightmare of such unsettling proportions. In fact, he soon realised that, where the familiar line of his scar used to reside, he could now feel nothing but cool, smooth skin. What was happening? Confused, and becoming increasingly worried, Harry stepped closer to the circular mirror to examine the thin blemish more closely. What he saw, however, almost made him jump with shock. There was no reflection! At least, there was no reflection of himself. The rest of the room showed up clearly in the looking glass, the mahogany furniture looking pale in the morning light, but it was as if Harry himself was invisible. Shakily, he waved his hand back and forth before the glass, but still nothing appeared. 

Normally Harry would have suspected Fred and George of having performed some kind of enchantment on the mirror as a prank, but everything about the dormitory just felt so eerie and unnatural that he was certain there had to be some more serious explanation. 

The sound of rustling sheets and muffled grunts caused Harry to swing around from his position and close his gaping mouth. _Ron!_ _Thank God... _Presently, the hangings surrounding Ron's bed parted, and Harry's heart leapt at the sight of his red-haired friend emerging from the covers, bleary-eyed and tousle-haired. 

"Ron!" Harry cried out, not caring if he woke the others, "Come and see this!" 

Ron walked over to him, still rubbing his eyes in exhaustion and grunting something about it being too early. 

"Here. This mirror's acting weird. It-" 

Harry suddenly stopped talking as Ron just walked past him as if he didn't exist, not even bothering to listen to what he had to say. 

"Ron?" Harry snapped irritably, "What-?" 

"C'mon, Neville," Ron moaned, kicking the post of Neville's bed, "Seven o'clock. Gerrup! Seamus! Draco! Up!" 

"Draco?" Harry roared, "What the hell is Malfoy doing here?" 

Incredibly, the three other boys emerged from their beds yawning and taking no notice of Harry, among them Draco Malfoy. Draco stood up and combed his blonde-hair as he walked nonchalantly to the mirror, completely ignoring the furious, shocked face of Harry Potter, who was almost incoherent with rage. 

"Who said you could sleep up here? In Dean Thomas' bed?! Malfoy?!" 

There was no response. Draco smoothed down the last of his locks and began to throw on some black, school robes. They were marked, to Harry's intense fury, with the Gryffindor emblem. Now shaking with anger, Harry rushed at his arch-nemesis, determined to beat him senseless. With all the force of his meagre body weight, he threw himself upon the other boy, only to collide heavily with the wall. Dazed, Harry got up and saw that he had apparently ran straight through Malfoy's body into the concrete barrier behind him. _What the hell is going on?_

The four boys continued to dress, occasionally speaking to each other, but apparently remaining completely oblivious to Harry's presence in the dormitory. Harry stared at them, screamed at them, swung his hands before their eyes, but to no avail. Eventually, at the end of his tether, he had an idea. _Hermione! She'll know what's happening..._

Harry hurried down into the Gryffindor common room, but there was no sign of Hermione. A few students were sitting around, sorting through their homework and schoolbooks, among them Ginny Weasley and some of the other fourth years, but surprisingly, Dennis Creevy was not among his classmates. Nor was Dean Thomas, who would certainly be furious over the incident with Draco Malfoy. In their stead, however, were many students whom Harry was sure belonged to different houses, as well as other students he didn't even recognise. Had he missed something? 

Confused, he decided to try to enter the girls' dormitory in search of Hermione. So far nobody had paid him any attention, so he thought that he would probably get away with it. He inwardly hoped that his presence in the girls' dormitory would be noticed; at least then he would be able to lose the strange sense of loneliness and detachment that had become attached to his person from the moment of his awakening. 

Cautiously he climbed the stairs, calling out Hermione's name and trying to avert his eyes from the hoards of half-naked girls running around, joking and giggling to each other. When presently he found the fifth year dormitory, the door was ajar and he could hear voices within. 

"Um, Hermione?" he asked cautiously from the hallway. 

Again, nobody answered. Harry walked boldly into the room, fed up with being ignored, and not caring if he found her shaving under her armpits so long as he found her. Unfortunately, only Parvati Patil was in there, and- 

"Millicent Bulstrode?!" 

Neither girl looked up at this astounded exclamation, but continued their conversation while tidying their beds. 

"Who?" Millicent boomed. 

"Cedric Diggory. You know, the tall, quiet, good-looking guy. Captain of Slytherin Quidditch team?" 

"Oh yeah, he's not bad I suppose..." 

"Not bad!" Parvati cried out, "He's gorgeous. Anyway, I heard him talking to Ernie MacMillan yesterday, and he distinctly said that Dumbledore's going. Ousted at last by Minister Malfoy! 

"I'm surprised it took this long". 

"Well, people are afraid of him. At least they _were _afraid of him, but they're not anymore. He's old now, old and decrepit, and has finally accepted that he can't fight the Dark Side forever. All his friends are dead because of him, the people he tricked into joining the Order of the Phoenix. Nah, it was bound to happen sooner or later... Professor Trelawney and I saw it coming ages ago in the tea leaves, but agreed it would be best not to tell anyone. Might look suspicious, you know? But guess who'll be taking over!" 

"Who?" 

"Why, Cedric's dad, of course. Amos Diggory". 

"Oh. Isn't he the one, who-" 

"Yeah, it was him. Caught Sirius Black himself-" 

Harry edged closer to the two girls, startled. 

"Wow," Millicent was saying, "And he got the Order of Merlin, first class, didn't he?" 

"Yep, and he deserved it too. You know Black was the Potter's Secret Keeper, their right-hand man. He was the one that kept Our Lord waiting so long for the victory he deserved... If Black hadn't been stupid enough to let Peter Pettigrew become the new Secret Keeper, Our Lord might never have defeated Lily, James and Harry Potter, and then who knows what would have happened..." 

_Defeated Lily, James and Harry Potter? What-?_

"This school would probably still be full of filthy Mudbloods for a start". 

"Oh, I'm sure of it. My parents have told me how terrible it was here, when they let Mudbloods learn magic. She says Dumbledore ruined Hogwarts, and has probably polluted wizarding blood for generations to come... Throw me my hairband, will you? No, the pink one-" 

Millicent passed the hairband and smiled stupidly, reminding Harry of his cousin Dudley. 

"Headmaster Diggory. That has a nice ring to it". 

Parvati laughed approvingly into a compact mirror saying, "Yes, it does... And I'll tell you something else. If I see that Ravenclaw girl- eh, what's her name?" 

"Chin Chang, or something foreign like that". 

"Yeah, her. If I see her anywhere near Cedric, I'll be sure to remind him of the importance of keeping his family's blood pure, especially now that his father is so important". 

"I thought she already _was_ a Pureblood". 

_Millicent Bulstrode thinks?_

"Well, of course she is. She wouldn't be here if she had any Muggle blood in her. But, she's not a Westerner, and that's what I'm saying. The Ministry doesn't pass a favourable eye on these Easterners interbreeding with us. Dad says they only let them come here because if they didn't, there'd be war and the economy can't afford to lose out on the Eastern market". 

_Since when is Parvati a racist? Or care about economics?_

"Huh?" 

"Oh, forget it! Just tell me if you see her hanging around Cedric, okay?". 

"Right," thundered Millicent, flinging her schoolbooks onto her bed and searching through the rolls of parchment. "Can I see your horoscope?" 

"Okay, but no copying. That was painstaking work, and besides, every horoscope is supposed to be unique". 

"Okay... Ooh, look, you're going to find love with a dark-haired man..." 

Deciding that this would be a good time to leave, Harry wandered out of the dormitory and trudged down into the Gryffindor common room, his mind still struggling to digest the wealth of information it had just acquired from Parvati Patil and Millicent Bulstrode, however improbable those two sources would have earlier appeared to be. He stood quietly by the large fireplace, obseving the students sitting around and conversing happily about the day's lessons. It was a typical morning scene, but again, this did little to soothe his strung nerves. 

Why were Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bulstode, among others, now resident in Gryffindor Tower? How could Cedric Diggory still be alive? Had Sirius really been captured? Since when where Muggle-borns not permitted to attend Hogwarts? It all made Harry's head swim in confusion. If ever he needed Hermione, it was now, he thought glumly. From what the two girls had been saying, however, the last fourteen years of Harry's life, as he remembered them, had not occured. As a Muggle-born witch, Hermione had probably never even heard of Hogwarts. No, Harry decided, he would have to figure this out on his own. 

It was almost as if he had wandered into an alternate dimension, in which all his worst nightmares had sprung to life. Perhaps he had travelled into the past with a Time Turner, and made a terrible mess of things. But then, why couldn't he remember doing it? No, that didn't make any sense. 

Millicent and Parvati had said that Voldemort had defeated all three Potters, including himself... 

Was he dead? 

That was it, the one question Harry had been refusing to ask himself ever since the incident with the mirror, not wanting to accept that his memory of the wizarding world, so happy and carefree in the aftermath of Lord Voldemort's demise, had been false and nothing but a dream. Was this the world as it truly was? 

Wearily, Harry lowered himself into an armchair, his eyes widening and his shoulders sagging more and more as reality sunk in. He had really died during that attack on Godric's Hollow, along with his parents. It certainly seemed to make more sense. There was no counter-curse to Avada Kedavra; everyone knew that. There was no way he could have survived the attack. Lord Voldemort was the most powerful Dark sorceror in over a century! How could he have been so vain as to imagine he could have defeated such a terrifying adversary? He really had died, then, and in his own sense of grief and incredulity had invented a wish-fulfilling world in which he was a hero, the saviour of Voldemort-fearing peoples all over the globe. Only now, however, was he beginning to see the truth. He was no hero! He was nothing more than a ghost with a vivid imagination and rather severe psychological issues. 

What would he do now, however? _Well, what do ghosts normally do?_ Harry suddenly realised that he hadn't a clue what the ghosts of his imaginary world, such as Nearly Headless Nick and The Bloody Baron, did when not attending school ceremonies and feasts or celebrating Death Days. Nor could he understand why he was invisible to the students. Clearly, he needed answers... 

*** 

Breakfast in the Great Hall was a noisy affair, dominated by the incessant hum of conversation at the five tables and the excited hooting of messenger owls, swooping onto the assembled school population below to deliver their charges. Harry moved between the different houses, noting the many incongruities in their make-up and catching occasional snippets of conversation. 

"So," a long-haired Ravenclaw girl was saying, "What've we got first?" 

"Dark Arts... Oh, I can't wait to see what I get for that essay on the Cruciatus Curse," her companion replied. 

Harry shuddered at the mention of that Unforgiveable Curse, feeling the distant remnant of a hundred daggers stabbing him in the chest and a great throbbing building in his skull, but could not understand why a memory he had simply invented could affect him so acutely. His recollections seemed so real that he could not entirely dismiss them. He _had_ experienced that Curse before, had he not? Voldemort had used it to torture him before the Death Eaters in his fourth year, Lucius Malfoy had employed a modified and much more dangerous version of it to try to kill him during the attack on Privet Drive. Could it be that these things had never happened? 

Having already decided that the only person who could possibly give him the answers he required was Albus Dumbledore, Harry hastened up the aisle separating the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables in the direction of the staff table. His way was blocked by numerous students congregating throughout the hall, chatting animatedly about this and that. It was a slow walk, therefore, to the front of the room, doubly so since Harry was much too squeamish to take advantage of his ghostly powers by stepping through the people that littered his path. It did not take him long, however, to establish that the syllabus of this Hogwarts was very different to the one he remembered. Apparently, these students were actually studying the practical use of the Dark Arts, rather than simply learning how to defend themselves against them. He even saw one group of Slytherins jokingly comparing the lifelikeness of their voodoo dolls. 

"You didn't give Weasley enough freckles," Hannah Abbott was telling her neighbour, attracting a great deal of mirth, and gesturing at the Gryffindor table, where Ron was sitting between Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom. 

"Here!" Vincent Crabbe grunted, "Use my fork. Let's see if it works!" 

Harry's eyes opened wide in astonishment and he hurried away, inspecting the staff table as he went. He saw to his regret that Dumbledore was absent, and that none of the assembled teachers looked familiar. A group of around a dozen formidable and stern-looking witches and wizards were eating breakfast and speaking in hushed tones. Something in their demeanour reminded him of his pale, hooked nosed Potions master, Severus Snape in that they all wore severe black robes and emitted a silent, intangible aura of power, making Harry very nervous as he passed by. Nevertheless, he remained invisible to the living world and soon arrived at the Gryffindor table, stopping close behind Ron's chair to eavesdrop on the conversation. Ron was holding a hand to his bleeding nose and appeared to be livid, as Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom tried to calm him down. 

"Just ignore them, Ron. We'll be making our own Voodoo dolls soon, so you'll get your revenge," Neville said reassuringly. 

"Yeah, I'm taking Goyle. Mind you, I might not have enough stuffing to fill it, since he's so obese," Malfoy drawled. 

Ron grinned and turned to Draco. "Bloody Slytherins... Geez, no matter what you say I still can't imagine you being one of _them_, Draco". 

Now Malfoy laughed. "Yeah, I think I'd kill myself... Of course, Father only wanted me in there because he was a Slytherin himself, and so was the Dark Lord". 

"With all your precious family traditions I'm amazed he didn't insist on having you re-sorted," Neville pointed out wonderingly. 

"Umm, well... There's nothing wrong with being in Gryffindor. Just because I'm brave, noble, achingly handsome-" 

"Oh, give us a break, Draco!" Ron exclaimed, chuckling. 

"Well, just because I'm all those things, that doesn't mean I have no ambition or cunning. The Dark Lord told me himself that he has no place in his Inner Circle for cowards. I suppose I was put in here because of all the battles I was exposed to as a kid, you know... I'm no coward, so I was put in here". 

"Did your father actually _take_ you to battles?" Ron asked incredulously. 

Draco smiled imperiously. "Not as such. The battles came to us, since the Manor was used as headquarters for the Death Eaters. But Father often let me help with interrogations". 

"Wow," the other boys chorused. 

Looking pleased at his friends' reactions, Draco continued spiritedly, "Oh yes. I could perform the Cruciatus Curse before I could walk. Father always took great pride in my education. I was not allowed to show any cowardice before the likes of Dumbledore, and nor would I. The man's pathetic, and he doesn't scare me in the slightest. That's why I was the youngest Death Eater in a century". 

"You're so lucky," Neville exclaimed, "My parents have never taught me anything useful, not that I'd expect them to". 

"Yeah, your parents are weird. No offence," Draco added apologetically. 

Neville shook his head sadly and looked around the table to make sure no-one was listening. He then whispered, "I've thought about turning them in, but it just doesn't seem right". 

"You're right not to, Neville," said Ron quietly. "My parents aren't the most devoted servants of the Dark Lord either, but they're still family". 

Draco said nothing. 

An uncomfortable silence ensued in which all three boys returned, with only mild enthusiasm, to their bowls of cereal. Harry walked away, beginning to miss the Hogwarts of his dreams with ever deepening regret. Just to hear Draco Malfoy speak with pride of the wizards he had helped to torture, or to hear about Neville's shame at having parents who were secretly less than committed to Lord Voldemort, made his blood run cold. Neville should have been jumping for joy at actually having parents who could recognise him and love him; instead he was threatening to betray them to the Dark Lord. It was a sick and perverted twist to the world Harry had once inhabitted, and if this was reality then he was not at all certain that he wanted to remain in it. He walked briskly away, breathing heavily and feeling the anger growing in his muscles. 

He ran swiftly up the large marble staircase and onto the first floor corridor, where a group of Slytherin students were refusing to allow a short, red-haired girl to pass. As he stepped closer, Harry saw that it was Ginny Weasley, and that she was almost in tears, her breath coming in great wracking sobs as she begged them to leave her alone. Harry felt a rush of pity towards her, watching her shake with fear, and longed to push the bullies aside. Without thinking, he tried to elbow the tallest of the Slytherin gang, a formidable, hag-like girl with matted brown hair, only to fall straight through her and land heavily on the stone floor with a grunt. 

"Damn it!" he screamed furiously, knowing he would not be heard. "Leave her alone!" 

He stood up and moved closer to Ginny, glaring at the Slytherins in disgust. This was a level of bullying he had rarely witnessed in his imaginary Hogwarts, a sickening and base mentality that reminded him painfully of Dudley's cruel gang that had terrorised the children in his Muggle school. The bullies showed no sign of retreat and presently the hag-like girl tore Ginny's schoolbag from her grip, laughing cruelly along with her fellows as she opened it and began to spill its contents out onto the floor. 

"Oh, look at this! Poor little Ginny can't afford any new books. How sad!" she chortled. 

Ginny was now sobbing hysterically, her lips trembling as she watched her already battered schoolbooks being kicked around the corridor by the Slytherins. Harry gazed on helplessly, seething with rage, but unable to act upon it. The large Slytherin girl continued to empty out the satchel, when suddenly she withdrew her hand, a triumphant sneer on her ugly face. 

"Well, well, well... what have we here? Weasley, you read Muggle books! The Neverending Story... Hmmm. "The Never heard of," story would be more accurate! What's this about then, Weasley?" she exclaimed, delighted with her pathetic wit. 

Ginny just whimpered and looked terrified. 

"What's that, Weasley? Nothing to say for yourself? Fine, let's see what Professor Fletcher thinks of it!" 

"No! Please... Don't! I'll do anything," Ginny wailed desperately. 

"Now, now. You know you're not allowed to have Muggle things. It's your own fault". 

"P-Please! I didn't mean to. I er- I just-" 

"It's my duty to report this, Ginny dear. You never know, you might get off with a ten-year prison sentence-" 

Ginny cried out miserably and fell to the floor, abandoning herself in the depths of despair. She only raised her bloodshot eyes at the sound of her school satchel being torn to shreds. The Slytherins giggled and threw the fragments of her books into the air with glee. Harry was unable to contain his rage. 

"Stop it!" he screamed furiously. 

Suddenly there was silence. Time seemed to stand still as the insane giggles were stopped in an instant and the irregular shards of paper remained suspended in mid-air. Harry looked on in amazement, momentarily too confused and disorientated to think. A look of terror had become frozen on Ginny's immobile face, the Slytherins appearing delighted with the success of their cruelty to her. The scene was changing, however, the corridor and its inhabitants beginning somehow to appear less solid, the colours swirling around him and combining into unintelligible masses. As the walls melted away, and the floor beneath him seemed to vanish, Harry became aware of a voice, warm and comforting, speaking from near his ear. At first he could not make out the words as they seemed to be coming from a great distance, and as he turned his head to identify their speaker, he could see nothing but blurred, incoherent images that seemed to spin and stetch before his very eyes, but gradually the message reached his dazed mind. _No! Come back, Harry! Please! That's it...Alright, drink this... Come on, now, just open your mouth for us..._

Although he could not understand why he was being asked to open his mouth, some part of his being trusted the voice and obeyed. He opened his mouth, but felt no liquid flow down his constricted throat. Confused, Harry prised apart his dried lips and tried to speak, but no sound emerged. A strange weariness seemed to have descended upon him and he closed his eyes. Almost immediately, however, he felt strangely dizzy, and a rush of air seemed to gust past him until his feet impacted with solid earth. Curiously, he opened his eyes. 

As quickly as it had vanished, the corridor around him materialised once more and the jeers and taunts of the Slytherin bullies increased to their former volume. They were apparently oblivious to whatever strange events had just taken place, as was Ginny, and were laughing so loudly that they did not notice the footsteps that were approaching them down the corridor. It was Albus Dumbledore. 

Harry smiled in relief as the old wizard stepped up behind the Slytherins, tucking something small and green into one of his many pockets, and looking sternly at the group of students. On close inspection, however, Harry found that he was shocked by the headmaster's frail appearance. Dumbledore looked old, ancient in fact, and very weary. He also seemed a lot shorter than Harry remembered, and when he spoke, it was with a voice almost completely devoid of the power and confidence it had once held. It was the voice of defeat, a tone that Harry had never expected to hear from this most powerful of all wizards. 

"Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Zabini, Miss Patil, Miss Karkaroff, Miss Weasley... What is the meaning of this behaviour?" 

The enormous, hag-like Slytherin, whom Dumbledore had addressed as Karkaroff, stepped forward. "We're ridding the school of inferior Muggle literature, er, Professor. Surely, you can have nothing to say against that". 

An expression of anger flickered momentarily across Dumbledore's aged face, but soon disappeared as he looked old and frail once more. 

"Very well, Miss Karkaroff. I'll take that book, if you please-" 

"Should we not take it to Professor Fletcher, sir? I mean, he _is_ in charge of all confiscated Muggle items". 

"I shall deal with this myself. Now get to class all of you! You too, Miss Weasley. _Reparo!_" 

The torn pieces of paper immediately coalesced to re-form all of Ginny's old schoolbooks. While they were by no means pristine, the books were somewhat newer-looking than before. Ginny gratefully gathered them into her repaired bag and hurried away, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her robes as she made her way to class. The Slytherins skulked off in the opposite direction, leaving Harry and Dumbledore alone in the hallway. 

Harry looked at his old headmaster curiously, suddenly missing the comfort and confidence that normally exuded from his twinkling eyes. Dumbledore stood in the corridor for a long time, looking ill at ease, and apparently searching for something illusive that lay just beyond the reach of his vision. With a jolt of excitement, Harry wondered if the old wizard could sense his presence. 

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry tried hopefully. "Sir?" 

Albus Dumbledore suddenly straightened his back and turned directly to Harry. His eyes opened wide with suspicion as he began to approach the boy, clutching his wand tightly in his long, bony fingers. 

"Professor? Can you see me?" Harry gasped. 

Almost immediately, Dumbledore halted in his tracks and his shoulders sagged in weariness. Harry watched in mute despair as the old wizard shook his head sadly and moved swiftly away down the corridor, sighing. Harry was so frustrated he felt like screaming. For a moment he had been certain that Dumbledore had seen him. Quite aside from his desire to have his questions answered, he had desperately wanted to hear a friendly voice after enduring such a dreadfully lonely and unsettling morning, and could think of no voice more reassuring than that of Albus Dumbledore. 

Harry decided to hurry after the headmaster. So far, he was the only person who had demonstrated even a slight awareness of his presence, so perhaps that awareness would increase if they spent more time together. He finally caught up with him by the stone gargoyle, which guarded the revolving staircase up to the headmaster's office. 

"Raspberry Fizzer!" Dumbledore uttered without expression. 

Harry followed the headmaster into the circular office and immediately felt better. This room, at least, remained unchanged, with its many pictures of snoozing former headmasters, strange contraptions that emitted odd whizzing sounds every few minutes, and its resident phoenix Fawkes, who sat proudly on his perch, but seemed unfortunately to be approaching a Burning Day. Fawkes' normally resplendent plumage of red and gold had been replaced with small clusters of dull, dirty feathers over patches of white skin, and he was looking decidedly wretched and aged. Dumbledore retrieved the small green object that Harry had earlier seen him hide in the pocket of his robes, and placed it inside the top drawer of his desk, too quickly for Harry to see what it was. 

Presently the old headmaster walked to the window and looked down on the grounds below. Harry joined him and, following his gaze, saw that a group of students, mere dots on the green fields surrounding the castle, were being taught how to conjure the Dark Mark. Several skulls, and half-skulls, were floating in the air above their heads, some more impressive than others, but none as large and as terrifying as those which Harry had seen before, both at the Gryffindor World Cup and at his parents' home, Godric's Hollow. Away in the distance, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, stood Hagrid's cabin. Harry wondered if Hagrid was in there, or if he was even still alive. 

With a sigh, Dumbledore moved away from the window and sat slowly down at his desk. A mound of paperwork littered its surface. For a moment, the he eyed the towering stack of parchment, until finally he slumped back in his chair and opened the top drawer of his desk. He took out a corked glass phial, containing a small quantity of thin, green liquid, and placed it on the desk. Harry crept forward for a closer look. The mixture looked familiar, but because he had brewed so many potions in his imagined life, both in class and out, it was difficult to identify it with any certainty. After closing the desk drawer, Dumbledore sat up and turned to the phoenix. 

"Well, Fawkes, I'm only waiting on you. There's nothing keeping me here". 

The phoenix hummed quietly in response, a chilling, almost tragic note that quivered in the air like a taut spring. 

"It pains me to think of the world we're leaving behind, and of what might have been... Alas, for he would have been great, truly great, if only he had lived... Do you know, I thought, just now, that I had seen... However, I was mistaken, of course" 

With a painful, strained flapping sound, Fawkes took off from his perch and flew across the room to land on Dumbledore's shoulder. Harry was deeply touched by the expression of grief lining both their faces, and wondered what Dumbledore's cryptic words had meant. Evidently, they held a certain poignant meaning for the two of them, a summary perhaps of a conversation they had shared many times in the past. Fawkes trilled softly and opened his wings in what Harry considered to be a gesture of resignation, depositing more dried out, grey feathers on the floor. 

"Very well, old friend. It's time". 

Dumbledore removed the cork from the phial and swirled the green mixture before his eyes. He raised it to his lips- 

That potion... Harry had seen it before, taken it in fact. It had almost killed him. 

"Professor! No!" Harry roared deafeningly, as realisation came to him in a flash. Dumbledore was trying to kill himself. 

A single note of phoenix song burst forth to fill the room, bathing it in an unearthly warmth that reached even to Harry's broken spirit. Almost immediately, however, it was crushed in a hollow, silent explosion as Fawkes erupted into flame. As Harry's mouth opened wide in sorrow, the ashes fell to the floor, where they lay, perfectly still. There was no movement in the ashes, no rebirth. 

Dumbledore's hands seemed suddenly to be frozen in mid-air, holding the unemptied phial before his parted lips. His eyes were narrowed in expectation behind his half-moon spectacles, yet the event he anticipated did not arrive. It was as if Harry's frantic exclamation had halted the passage of time itself, at least as it applied to those around him, and for the second time that day Harry experienced the strange, unsteady sensation of being lifted above the ground by an invisible force, the walls of Dumbledore's office melting into a thick, blurred mass of light and colour on his every side. Then, from all around him, he heard voices... 

*** 

The morning sun illuminated the master bedroom of Godric's Hollow, announcing the beginning of yet another glorious summer's day. Sirius opened his tired eyes and shifted uncomfortably in his bedside chair, elbows slipping irritatingly from the narrow arm-rests as he straightened his back to greet whoever it was he could hear coming up the stairs. He glanced down at Harry, still sleeping fitfully, his face too flushed and his body much too hot, and wondered if Snape's best efforts at an antidote would ever take effect. He had been sitting by Harry's side all night, feeling completely useless, while listening to his godson's fevered dreams and trying to imagine what nightmares Harry had become trapped in. The long night had taken its toll on his own body too, which had moved from beyond the screaming-for-sleep phase, and had now taken to simply doing what it wanted. It was a constant battle to stay awake therefore, especially when he had to listen to Arabella's gentle snores coming from the chaise-longue across the room. 

Presently the door opened, and Remus Lupin entered silently, carrying a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. Sirius sniffed the delicious aroma hungrily as he accepted the mug from his friend, neither saying a word. There was no need to speak. Both knew the other too well to have any doubts about the mutual gloom oppressing their thoughts. Remus put his hand to Harry's forehead and shook his head sadly, before sitting down next to Sirius. 

"Still no improvement, then". 

"No," Sirius replied quietly, not quite meeting Remus' eyes. "It happened again a few minutes ago". 

"His heart stopped?" 

Sirius nodded glumly. "That's the second time". 

"Don't worry, Padfoot. He's obviously still fighting it, and Albus is sure he'll recover". 

"I hope he's right. I couldn't bear to lose him now, now that I can give him, well, a proper home". 

Remus stretched a comforting arm around Sirius' shoulders. Sirius melted into the embrace, releasing the tension in his neck and relaxing visibly. He yawned into his friend's shoulder. 

"I don't suppose there's any point in my telling you to get some sleep," Remus stated in a hopeless voice. 

"If it didn't work for _her_," Sirius replied, a tired smile spreading across his face as he looked over at Arabella, "Then it certainly won't work for you". 

"No, I didn't think so," said Remus, frowning. 

"Just keep the caffeine coming, Moony," Sirius muttered after a moment, sipping his coffee. "Ah, yes... This'll keep me awake". 

Remus nodded in agreement, a strange, closed expression on his face as he carefully watched the coffee's meniscus getting lower and lower in the mug. Sirius was feeling too exhausted to take note of this, however, and he yawned again, his eyelids drooping as he drained the last of his beverage. 

"Does it taste okay?" Remus asked after a moment, smiling to himself. 

"Um, yeah..." Sirius began, his words slurring slightly as he spoke. "Why?" he added, suspiciously, "What've you done to it?" 

Remus smiled angelically and looked away, beginning to hum in mock innocence. He did not fool Sirius in the slightest, despite the fact that he was now struggling to keep his eyes open. 

"Moony," Sirius hissed indignantly, "You complete an' utter bast-" 

The anger and astonishment in his voice dissolved as sleep descended upon him with the force of a tonne weight. His eyes closed of their own accord and he slumped back in his chair, instantly unconscious. 

"Pleasant dreams, Padfoot," Remus whispered, taking the mug from his unresisting hands and setting it on the floor. Sirius snored in response. 

*** 

Their voices were all around him, but he couldn't see their faces. Standing in complete blackness, Harry shivered as the frantic whispers rushed past him, some from directly behind his ear, others from a great distance, their words unintelligible, but always full of malice and dark intent. Stepping uncertainly forward with one hand stretched out before him, he moved blindly through the icy sea of voices towards a faint, diamond-shaped glint of light that lay far ahead, a distant ray of hope in the terrifying nightmare in which he found himself. Their voices continued to hiss incessantly, sometimes startling him with their alarming proximity, and causing him to quicken his step as he hurried onward, not daring to look around. 

He subconsciously tried to raise his collar to cover his neck, an instinctive response to the eerie sensation of cool air running over his bare skin, but unfortunately the fabric was static and unyielding. Frightened and confused, he began to run, sometimes tripping on the loose hem of his robes, while all around him the whispers evolved into moans and high-pitched, hellish wails. Their voices were tormented, and unlike anything Harry had ever heard before. Whoever these people were, he was certain that they had been made to suffer more than anyone deserved. He ran faster, breathing heavily and aware only of the frantic beating of his heart against his ribs, and of the cries that followed him, piercing him to the bone, but still the voices grew and grew until they became so loud and immediate as to seem like they were emanating from his own mouth. 

The darkness pressed in upon him, stifling him despite the icy chill in the air, and he began to panic. He had to get out of here, that much was certain, but the tiny sliver of white light, which he hoped represented his escape, did not seem to be getting any closer. The cries turned into agonized screams, shrill pleads for mercy. He could hear the words now. 

_No.... Please, have mercy.... I didn't do it.... I am innocent.... Let me die.... Kill me...._

Harry raced onward, feeling warm tears running down his cheeks, but not understanding why. The voices were now deafening, begging for release from their inner torment, begging for death... And still the tiny glint of freedom remained illusive. 

Before he knew it, Harry was screaming, his arms flailing wildly as he ran in no particular direction, abandoning himself to the despair and darkness that lurked within his soul. He didn't know where he was, but that no longer seemed to matter. Time seemed to have no meaning here, causing him to sink ever deeper into the pit of despair his mind had somehow created. As the minutes progressed into hours, and even days, the pain and fear consumed him almost entirely, preventing him from asking the rational questions that would otherwise have been relevant, and as his hope dwindled to a mere flicker, so the light on the horizon extinguished. 

As total blackness spread through the hellish environment, he dropped to his knees, suddenly exhausted, and sobbed hysterically, all pretence of Gryffindor Courage dying with the loss of his only hope for freedom. He buried his face in his knees and cried. 

He seemed to have been sitting and crying for an eternity, before he became aware of the silence that had grown around him. 

"You're dead, Harry Potter," spoke a cruel voice above him. 

Harry slowly raised his head and looked into the eyes of his enemy. 

"If that's true, then so are you," Harry spat. 

"No, I'm afraid not... Your little curse may have _temporarily_ incapacitated me, but I can assure you, I'm very much alive. You should know by now that I cannot be killed. Lord Voldemort is eternal." 

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I know better. You can be killed, and I shall kill you." 

A momentary silence ensued. 

"I see Dumbledore has given you delusions of power. That's good, it will make him mourn you all the more for what might have been." 

"I'm under no delusions. I see you as you truly are." 

"Really? I'm intrigued..." 

"You're no almighty, god-like creature. You're just another wizard, a Muggle-born wizard at that, whose only power lies in an infamous name. _That's _why you're afraid of Dumbledore, because_ he_ doesn't have to resort to murder to gain power. The respect people have for him is enough." 

"Your father was respected," Voldemort hissed coldly, "Yet I killed him in an instant. Where was his sacred power then? He knew it was hopeless, that he would die. He didn't even _try_ to defend himself. I look forward to seeing that defeated expression on your face, when the time comes." 

"You are mistaken, Voldemort, if you think you represent any threat to me." 

"Foolish boy! You speak as if you were my equal-" 

"I am much more than that." 

"Very well. We shall see..." 

With that, the Dark Lord vanished, leaving Harry alone to his troubled thoughts. He had been surprised by the courage in his voice, even more surprised to note that it had been genuine, but what really had amazed him was the fact that, for the first time in his life, he had felt that he was in control, that he was invincible. It was a novel sensation, and he found that he rather enjoyed it. He longed to experience it again, to threaten Voldemort and render him speechless. He would bring him to his knees and make him beg for mercy, like those poor, tormented souls he had heard earlier. He would make him pay for the lives he had ruined. 

And as Harry's spirits lifted in the wake of renewed courage and determination, so the walls of his prison suddenly collapsed around him, admitting a tremendous deluge of light and colour. Harry felt the happiness flood back into his soul as the ground beneath his feet was transformed to soft, dewy grass, and the early morning sun shone upon his weary shoulders. Smiling, he stepped through the familiar gap in the blackberry bushes to look at his home, standing quaint and beautiful against a host of emerald oaks. A tremendous warmth seemed to spread from the ground into his feet and up through his body, filling him with joy and inexplicable hope. Glancing up at the gnarled treetrunks surrounding Godric's Hollow, and the decaying ivy that swamped its proud, granite facade, he laughed, long and full, with all his heart. He was home... 

*** 

Having levitated Sirius' sleeping form over to the long window seat, Remus took a final look at Harry, still delirious with fever, and then headed downstairs to wait for Albus Dumbledore. The headmaster had been concerned to hear about Harry's latest encounter with the Dark Lord, but had been comforted somewhat to see that the boy had somehow retained his wand, tucked safely in the pocket of his robes. That was the first thing he had checked for, much to Remus' surprise, on their return from Azkaban, that Harry had was still in possession of his wand. He had later recounted to Remus the full history of the remarkable talisman and directed him never to speak of it to anyone save Harry, Snape, Sirius, Arabella and Ron. Remus had given his word to do as his mentor asked, deeply flattered by the trust Dumbledore obviously had in him to share such important information. Having not been on the receiving end of a great deal of trust since his exposure as a werewolf, it had taken him somewhat by surprise to encounter someone still willing to engage his confidence. After their discussion, Dumbledore had left to assist in the defence of the school and to aid Severus in the brewing of an antidote for Harry's Todis Potion. 

Several hours had passed since, interrupted only by the arrival of the Potions master, looking particularly smug, with his finished mixture. Sirius had administered it immediately, reluctantly thanking his long-term enemy in a quiet, disgruntled voice, before engaging on a night long vigil by Harry's bedside. Remus could see why Dumbledore had requested him to be there. Sirius and Arabella were completely exhausted from their ordeal, Arabella falling asleep the moment she sat down on the chaise longue in the master bedroom with the intention of tying her shoelace. He had expected Sirius to follow suit, but unfortunately had not reckoned with his friend's unwavering sense of duty to Harry and his parents. A carefully prepared, and even more carefully disguised, sedative had soon dealt with that, however. It was surely a sign of Sirius' intense fatigue that he had actually accepted the "Coffee", a myriad of lessons, acquired painfully from his schoolboy years as a prankster, being forgotten at a crucial moment. Well, Remus supposed, it would be something to laugh about later, after Sirius told him all about his meeting with James and Lily. 

Remus had been shocked at that revelation. Apparently, Voldemort had found a way to use Priori Incantatem as a means to resurrect his murdered victims, albeit temporarily, and James and Lily had come back to life. Sirius had been somewhat vague on the details, being much too tired, worried and upset to tell him any more than had been necessary to explain Harry's condition. Remus hoped that they would talk about it later, though, as he longed to hear of James' reaction to the news that he had been betrayed by Wormtail. Of course, he might have surmised the identity of his betrayer during the attack on the house, barely hours after he had performed the transfer of the Fidelius Charm to Pettigrew, but Remus knew that James would have a difficult time suspecting any of his friends of such evil. He decided he would ask Sirius about it later, when things had calmed down a little. For now, he had to see Dumbledore and find out how the battle at Hogwarts was progressing. 

As he strolled out onto the front lawn, Remus saw Dumbledore approaching from the opposite direction, his timing as uncannily impeccable as ever. Even from a distance, he could tell that the old wizard was smiling as he walked down the grassy slope, and he moved with a lively, almost excited pace. 

"Hello, Remus!" he called merrily, "What a charming view!" 

"Um, yes, headmaster. What about-" 

"I don't believe I've ever taken so much pleasure in an early morning stroll... Such stunning scenery, fine oak trees, beautiful foliage..." 

Remus sighed in exasperation at Dumbledore's characteristic laid-back attitude. 

"...and a wonderful variegated ivy catching the sun. Ah, perfect! Old Godric certainly knew what he was doing when he chose _this_ site." 

Remus cleared his throat. 

"Oh, do forgive me, Remus! You want to know how the school fares." 

"Yes, Albus, if you don't mind." 

"Certainly, I don't mind, but let us sit here, in the midst of Mother Nature, while we talk." 

Remus hesitated for a moment, laughing inwardly at Dumbledore's knack for completely eroding his line of thought. Confused, he joined the headmaster on the dewy grass, sitting with his back to the house and looking off into the forest beyond while waiting for his companion to speak. 

"Well, Remus," Dumbledore began shortly, "Hogwarts has fared remarkably well, and thanks to the efforts of the Order, and indeed our new Giant friends, we have captured some very high profile Death Eaters, who will no doubt prove useful. The Dementors, I regret to say, fled back to their master. I'm sure he will be most displeased with them... But at least our successes on the battlefield will delay any retaliation for quite a while, I would imagine. It will be a long time before Voldemort builds up his ranks enough to launch another full-scale attack." 

"Was there much damage?" 

"Well, if you count the loss of two greenhouses, a window on the fourth floor, and one rather old shed behind Hagrid's cabin, as much damage, then I had better warn you against surveying the carnage... Oh, but poor Professor McGonagall _did_ have her whiskers fried. Otherwise the damage was negligible. A few cuts and bruises, a lot of broken bones, some Dementor induced fits... nothing Madam Pomfrey's crater of chocolate couldn't deal with. Personally, I think we came off rather well in the end. It was a bit of a disappointment, to be honest. I rather enjoy a good fireworks display!" 

Remus stared at Albus incredulously, and laughed. "I'm amazed Hagrid returned so soon." 

"So was I. He's become quite the diplomat, actually. I believe the new Minister for Magic is intending to confer upon him an official title to that effect... Something like, "Special Envoy, First Class". Hagrid will be pleased." 

"Fudge is gone already, then?" Remus exclaimed, amazed. 

"Well, just between you and I, Remus," Albus began, winking mischievously, "He has not been removed from office yet, at least officially. However, it occured to me that he might not want to face public outcry over his treatment of Sirius, so I've taken him somewhere safe." 

"Safe for him, or safe for Sirius?" 

"Well, it _would_ be a shame if the sole surviving witness to the injustice of Sirius' imprisonment were to go missing. And I know it will greatly enhance Sirius' case to have Fudge speak for him. So I've put him somewhere nice and secure, where there's no danger of his escaping". 

"Is that legal?" 

"He deserves no such consideration, Remus. He is a disgrace to the Judicial System. The Council of Warlocks is aware of my actions, and I have their unofficial backing. Once Sirius is free, Fudge will be removed from office, and tried. When he is found guilty, as he most certainly shall, I believe he is to be held in a Ministry holding cell until construction of the new prison is complete. He shall probably spend the rest of his life in prison, the victim of his own vanity and ambition." 

The two wizards sat in silence for a while, listening to the chaffinches chirping in the trees above them. 

Finally, Remus spoke. "I'm so happy for Sirius. He'll finally have his life back." 

"Yes, his freedom will bring great joy to many people." 

"Especially Harry." 

Dumbledore sighed. 

"Professor," Remus suddenly began, "About James and Lily-" 

"They are dead, Remus, and as upsetting as that is, such things should not be tampered with." 

"Harry might not see it that way." _And I'm not entirely sure that I do, either..._

"I shall advise him as best I can. The death of his parents weighs heavily upon his soul, but I am sure that, in the end, he will do the right thing. We just have to stand by and support him along the way." 

Remus nodded. "We should go inside. I'm supposed to be watching him." 

"Of course, Remus, but something tells me that he's going to be just fine." 

Remus stood up, not really paying attention to the headmaster's words. He was too preoccupied with the idea of bringing James and Lily back to life to listen carefully to anything Dumbledore said, dully imagining his conversation to represent no more than a well-intended gesture of comfort. He turned around to walk down to the house, vaguely aware of his aged companion muttering nonstop under his breath. 

"Yes indeed... Exquisite foliage. I haven't seen the gardens looking this well for a long time..." 

Remus halted. Dumbledore was smiling at him expectantly. 

"Albus! What on earth-" he spluttered, gazing around from the vibrant, lush plants filling the borders, to the elegant, healthy ivy spreading up the house's walls, and to the no longer gnarled trunks of the proud oaks surrounding the house."How-?" 

"There is nothing more magical than life, Remus," Dumbledore stated simply, "Or more precious... Come, I believe Harry is waiting for us. No doubt he will have some questions of his own." 

*** 

Harry awoke abruptly to find himself in a strange room that he didn't recognise, even with the added magnification of his glasses, which he had discovered next to his pillow. His initial thought would have been, "What now?" if at that moment he hadn't been interrupted by the chorus of snores coming at him from all directions. He sat up blearily, taking in the comical sight of his godparents sprawled over various pieces of furniture, both fast asleep. Sirius had dribbled down his front, and was creating a deafening snorting sound from the window seat, while Arabella was somewhat more dignified, not making too much noise, but lying in an unfortunate position that was showing considerably more leg than Harry found appealing first thing in the morning. 

Swiftly averting his eyes, he lay back down in bed and snuggled luxuriously beneath the warm covers. He felt strangely tired himself, and a little shivery, but was glad to have left behind the dreadful nightmares that had plagued his sleep. He could only recall fragments of these dreams, voices, sensations, and darkness, but it was enough to make him exceptionally glad to have two ex-Aurors standing, or rather sleeping, nearby. He suspected that Lord Voldemort had featured in his dreams, too and that, somehow, the dark wizard had seemed less terrifying than usual. 

The voices had scared him, however, horrified him in fact, but he was too sleepy and comfortable to worry about that now. He felt strangely calm as he closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep, the result, he supposed, of having gone so long without truly relaxing. Now that the chance to do so had finally arrived, he intended to enjoy it, wherever he was, and however he had gotten there. It felt like he hadn't slept in days, as if for months past his entire existence had been comprised of one nightmare on top of another. He wouldn't think about that now, however. Reality could wait until he was rested, and then he'd try to put his memory in order. Sirius would help him sort it out.... 

Harry dozed, clearing his mind of all thought and simply abandoning himself to the pleasure of sinking ever deeper into a warm, soft mattress. He had just started to drift off to sleep when the bedroom door suddenly opened. He heard soft footsteps approaching his bed, and decided, much to his regret, that he would have to see who it was. They were probably worried about him, whoever they were, as was usually the case when he woke up in unfamiliar places. He opened his eyes to see Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin standing by his bed. 

"Hello, Harry," said Dumbledore, beaming, "You're looking much better. How do you feel?" 

"Er, fine," Harry muttered, "A bit tired, I suppose". 

"That's to be expected. Professor Snape delivered the antidote on time, as I'm sure you'll be glad to hear". 

_Antidote?... Oh, God..._ As reality flooded back into Harry's mind, so the images of the last few days appeared before his eyes - his discovery of the Penna in a wash of golden light - hiding in the dark passage with Arabella - Fletcher's composed expression as he calmly announced his betrayal - Lucius Malfoy pointing his wand directly at him - awakening on the straw-covered floor of his cell in Azkaban - teaching Sirius to conjure a Patronus - searching through the passages of Azkaban for his wand - meeting Voldemort - Ron stabbing him in the back - taking the green, almost fatal, Todis Potion - Sirius duelling with Pettigrew - his parents coming back to life in the blue flames - the expression on Voldemort's face before he cast the Killing Curse - his parents vanishing, telling him how much they loved him... Everything since was something of a blur, an intermingling of horrific circumstances and fevered dreams. He suddenly realised that he had a lot of questions. 

Dumbledore and Lupin observed him quietly, seeing the swift passage of emotions spreading across his childish features, and giving him time to adjust. When Harry finally looked up, he saw that Lupin was staring at him in unconcealed awe. 

"Albus," Remus began, not taking his eyes from Harry, "How did he recover so quickly?" 

Harry felt a stab of annoyance at being spoken of in the third person. To his surprise, Dumbledore turned to him. 

"The antidote Severus prepared for you forms only part of the cure for that nasty poison. A desire to live does the rest, and I'm very glad you were able to provide that, Harry. Now, I know you have many questions, but I must ask you to sleep a little first. We will speak later." 

Harry nodded gratefully and curled up on his side, closing his eyes once more. Before he fell asleep he heard Dumbledore utter an incantation, which seemed to block out the sound of Sirius' snores. He drifted off to sleep, lulled by the gentle, rhythmic hush of his own breathing. 

*** 

When Harry finally awoke, it was still bright. Dazzling sunlight streamed in through the Georgian windows, casting dark-rimmed squares over the patchwork quilt that covered his immense double bed. He felt deliciously warm and rested, which was surprising since he knew he couldn't have been asleep for very long if there was still daylight outside. Heaving himself up on his pillows, half-asleep, he reached out for his glasses, only to feel someone placing them in his hand. He started in surprise as Sirius' delighted face came into focus above him, well-groomed and clean-shaven. 

"'Bout time you woke up," Sirius stated gruffly, but grinning as he sat down. 

"Nice to see you too. What time is it?" 

"Around three, I think." 

"Is that all? Geez, it felt much longer than that." 

Sirius shook his head, raising his eyes to the ceiling. 

"Three the next day, Harry. It was yesterday you woke up and spoke to Moony and Dumbledore." 

"Oh, right. That makes sense." 

"As I was saying, it's about time you woke up! How do you feel?" 

"Great," Harry stated boldly, catching the doubtful expression on his godfather's face. "Honestly..." 

"Hmm, good. We weren't sure you'd make it.You know your heart actually stopped beating twice." 

"I feel fine, Sirius... Where are we, anyway?" 

"Godric's Hollow. This was your parents' room. It was yours too. See! The crib's in the corner-" 

Harry sat up and gasped in surprise. So this had been his room, as a baby. He wasn't really sure how to feel about that, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. He looked up to see Sirius watching him carefully. 

"Look, Harry, I'm really sorry, but I have to go to the Ministry. I was supposed to be there hours ago, but I wanted to wait until you were awake before I left. You remember what I told you, about there being a possibility of my name being cleared?" 

Harry nodded eagerly. 

"Well, there's going to be a small, private hearing in Ministry Headquarters today to discuss it. Now don't get your hopes up! It really could go either way..." 

Sirius looked nervous as he spoke, fidgeting with the edge of Harry's quilt. 

"Of course, there's no danger of my getting the Dementor's Kiss _now_, but there are other punishments. They could sentence me to prison again, or even lethal potion. I'm not too happy about going in there, I can tell you, but Dumbledore was quite insistent. That's why I wanted to see you, before I left, because we might not see each other again..." 

Harry eyed him tearfully, but his expression soon cleared. "Dumbledore wouldn't ask you to go there if he thought there was any chance of your being found guilty. It'll be alright." 

"Well, whatever happens, you'll always have a home with Arabella. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but I've asked Moony to stand in as a replacement godfather. I know he's dull as hell, but he's a dab hand in the kitchen, and if ever you need help with your love-life, he's the one to ask-" 

"Sirius! Geez, there's no need to pull out the replacement godfather just yet!" Harry chortled. "I'll see you later, okay?" 

Sirius reddened a little, but apparently had trouble giving in to the mirth flowing from his godson's lips. Harry suddenly had the horrible impression that his godfather was aching to perform some kind of parental display of affection, perhaps even ruffle his hair, causing his own cheeks burn at the thought. 

"You'd better go, Sirius, if you're already late." 

"Yeah, s'pose so. Um, Harry-" 

"It'll be fine. Go on..." 

Sirius gazed at him with an intensity Harry had never seen before. It felt like he was trying to memorize every curve, blemish and freckle on his face, peering into his bright green eyes and lingering there for what seemed an eternity. Harry found it difficult to return his gaze, focusing instead on the sky blue, pearl stitches of his patchwork bedspread. He almost jumped when he felt Sirius pull him into a tight bear hug. 

"Okay," Sirius said quietly, releasing Harry back onto the covers, where he lay catching his breath. "Right. I'm going. Moony's downstairs. He'll see to anything you want. You must be _starving_. I know I was... I practically ate a whole cow. Tell him to mix you up an omelette! Moony makes the most wonderful omelettes... He'll fill you in on everything that's happened too... Anyway, wish me luck!" 

"Good luck, Sirius, and don't worry!" Harry called after him. 

*** 

A short nap and two bowls of thick, creamy vegetable soup later (Harry decided his stomach probably wouldn't be able to handle an omelette), he felt well enough to leave his bed and go downstairs to talk to Lupin. He had a great many questions to ask, such as what had become of Ron and Arabella, how they had gotten back to Godric's Hollow and whether or not there was any news yet about Sirius' visit to the Ministry of Magic. He found Remus sitting at the kitchen table, a copy of the Daily Prophet open before him, and a frown on his face. He looked up as Harry entered, however, and smiled. 

"Good to see you back on your feet, Harry. Sleep well?" 

"Yes, thanks. Are you busy right now?" 

"Oh, no. I was just reading... Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter is up to her old tricks again, spreading panic..." 

"What?" Harry suddenly asked loudly, surprised. "She's back?" 

Lupin looked at him in bewilderment. 

Harry quickly added, "Oh, it's just, I heard she had gone on holiday, or, or something..." _Hermione must have let her go!_

"Oh, well, never mind. She's reporting on the attack on Hogwarts, or rather on the lack of security in Hogsmeade." 

"Ah. What happened? Was anyone hurt?" 

"It went extremely well, actually. There were no fatalities, at least on our side. The Death Eaters weren't so lucky," Lupin explained grimly. "Arabella will be able to tell us more when she gets back. She headed over to Hogwarts first thing this morning" 

"The school's all right, though?" Harry asked nervously. 

Lupin smiled reassuringly. "Yes, it's fine." 

"What happened to Ron?" 

"I brought him home shortly after you arrived. Molly and Arthur were very relieved to have him back. As for Draco-" 

Harry's eyes opened wide in shock. _Malfoy... Didn't I dream something about him?_

"What about him?" 

"You do remember meeting him, don't you?" 

"Er- no, not really. My memory's a bit jumbled up." 

"Well, he caught up with you out on a pier in Azkaban apparently, and used a Portkey to get you all home." 

The image of crashing waves and sharp rocks suddenly crept into Harry's mind. There was something about Snape... 

"I don't remember seeing him there..." 

"Oh, you were probably pretty out of it at that stage. Anyway, Draco is in something of a difficult situation now, because in helping you home, he has betrayed not only his father, but Lord Voldemort. Harry, Draco was a Death Eater." 

Harry didn't quite know what to say. Certainly, he remembered hearing Voldemort mention Draco Malfoy's name in the throne room at Azkaban, but it still seemed inconceivable that the boy would have gone so far as to join the Dark Lord's ranks. However unpleasant, and even cruel, Malfoy's personality was, Harry found it difficult to imagine that he would actually take the enormous, life-altering step of becoming a Death Eater. Until now, he had always pictured Draco as being boastful, jealous, and cruel, but not as a wizard capable of murder. But now, he was being told that Draco had indeed sworn an oath to serve Voldemort and to rid the world of Muggles, an oath that he had decided, in an incredibly short period of time, to forsake. Harry wasn't sure he trusted Malfoy, or believed in his miraculous redemption. His disbelief must have shown clearly on his face, for Lupin quickly tried to banish it. 

"Harry, I know what you're thinking... Draco might not be genuine. It's hard to say if he is or not, but he _did_ bring you all home safely. To be honest, I don't think he really knows whose side he's on. He's confused, and has a lot on his mind. For now, however, he is on our side, and we must encourage him to stay there." 

Harry mumbled, almost incoherently, "Where is he now?" 

"Well," Lupin shifted uncomfortably on the kitchen chair, "The Weasleys offered to take him-" 

Harry spluttered with laughter, unable to contain his amusement, despite the stern expression on Lupin's face.. 

"-But Draco had objections, which I won't repeat. In the end, Dumbledore had to ask Snape to look after him, poor kid, but I don't think he minded too much It's only a temporary arrangement, fortunately." 

"I'm sure they'll be great company for each other. They can wind away the hours plotting my murder... But can't his parents insist that he be returned to them? I mean, he is still a child by law, right?" 

"Yes, normally we wouldn't be able to take him from his parents unless we could prove they were Death Eaters. We found the proof we needed, however." 

Lupin seemed reluctant to say any more on the matter, so Harry changed the subject. 

"Has there been word from Sirius yet?" 

"No, not yet. I'd say it'll be awhile before we hear anything. They've a lot to discuss, and on top of dealing with the attack on Hogwarts, the Ministry has its hands full right now..." 

"Oh," Harry sighed in disappointment. "Okay." 

"I'll be heading over there myself soon, to give evidence." 

"Really? What on?" 

"I don't know yet. Albus just asked me to be there. I'm afraid all we can do is wait, Harry. Why don't you go back to bed for awhile?" 

Harry sighed once more and looked around the kitchen, bored. He didn't want to go back to bed, especially now that with his concern for Sirius casting a dark shadow over his earlier cheerfulness. The thought of spending the entire day sitting around the house and worrying about the outcome of his godfather's trial filled him with dread. He found himself longing for distraction, so that he could delay having to think about the crucial moment until it arrived. If only he had his broomstick... Unfortunately, the Firebolt was still at the Burrow, along with all his possessions. Besides, he doubted that Remus would let him go out to fly in the aftermath of the attack on the house as it might be dangerous. He could make a start on his homework. Even the prospect of working on his Potions essay would have been preferable to being left alone with his gloomy thoughts, but again, his books were at Ron's house. The thought of Ron gave him an idea. 

"Remus?" Harry asked. 

Lupin looked inquisitively back up from the newspaper. 

"Is there an owl I could use? I'd like to write to Ron and Hermione to let them know I'm okay, and everything." 

"I'm afraid not, Harry. Hedwig arrived yesterday, but Sirius sent her off this morning with a message." 

_Damn._

Harry looked over at the pile of dirty dishes by the sink. "D'you want me to wash those?" he asked hopefully. 

"Hmm? Oh, no, that's all right, Harry. Here-" 

Remus waved his wand and the sink immediately filled with water. The plates began to push each other roughly, each wanting to be the first into the soapy water. Harry shook his head in exasperation. 

"Er, is there _anything_ I can do?" 

"Bored already, Harry?" spoke a voice from the doorway, causing Harry and Remus to rise from their chairs in fright. 

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed. "Has there been word from Sirius yet?" 

"No, not yet, Harry," Dumbledore stated apologetically. "Your presence is required, however, Remus." 

"Right. See you later, Harry," Lupin called as he left. 

"Shall we adjourn to the living room, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, already halfway out of the room. 

Harry followed him curiously. Once inside the dull, mahogany-panelled room, the headmaster sat down wearily on the dusty maroon couch, inviting Harry to join him. Harry sat down slowly, wondering why the older wizard was suddenly looking so old and tired. The expression reminded him of something, perhaps from a dream that he couldn't quite recall, and it made him strangely sad to look at it. 

"Well, Harry... Another encounter with Lord Voldemort, another victory..." 

Whatever Harry had been expecting it wasn't this vague, sweeping statement. 

"Um, yeah," he replied uncertainly. 

"And you used the Killing Curse to great effect." 

"Yes, sir. Am I going to be in trouble for that?" Harry asked anxiously, wondering if this was why Dumbledore looked so uncomfortable. 

It was a while before the headmaster replied. "No, since nobody knows what you did, except those who were present." 

Harry silently digested this welcome piece of news, before saying, "I thought I'd killed him at first, but it wasn't enough. I should have used the concentrated form of the Curse that Sirius taught me." 

"You regret that you did not kill him, then?" 

Harry's brows furrowed in confusion. "Well, of course I do-" 

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Perhaps that it is your fate, Harry, if you believe in such fancies. But you should realise that, with every life you take, a part of yourself dies also." 

"I wouldn't use it on anyone else!" Harry cried out, alarmed. 

"You misunderstand me, Harry. I know you have too great a respect for life to destroy it thoughtlessly. I merely want you to understand your enemy. Voldemort has taken the lives of thousands, and it has reduced him to a creature bearing a greater likeness to death than life. He thrives on the souls he has claimed, keeping his victims trapped for all eternity in a nightmarish world from which he draws strength and power..." 

Dumbledore continued speaking, but Harry was hardly listening. The headmaster's words had struck a cord with him... _A nightmarish world... Victims trapped... Voldemort... _The images from Harry's dreams suddenly popped into his memory with crystal clarity. The dead souls begging for release from their torment, Voldemort looking fearful at Harry's veiled threats... 

Dumbledore continued, "This will be his downfall, Harry, that the influence he has gained was obtained from dead things. Have you never wondered where the term, "Death Eater," originated?" 

Harry listened raptly. 

"Well, it was born from the practise of drawing power from the souls of the dead. That is why the Dementors were so quick to flock to Voldemort's side. He encourages them to feed as much as they want, and the souls they remove prolong his life. To beat him, Harry, you must not be like him. You must not give in to hatred and a lust for revenge. You have witnessed the power of the Penna Potissimus, and no doubt have considered using it to increase the force of your Killing Curse, but, Harry, you must not do so," Dumbledore continued, speaking these last words with careful emphasis. "The Penna is not meant to be used in that manner. It is not a weapon. As the heir of Gryffindor, you have the important duty of defending it, and protecting it, from the likes of Voldemort, who would abuse its power, but you should never try to wield it for your own gain." 

"But, sir!" Harry exclaimed, "I already have, and nothing terrible happened." 

"As the Secret Keeper of the Penna Potissimus, you needed to understand its power. That is why I did not advise against your using it before now. However, you are stronger now, and more dangerous an adversary. Were you to wield the Penna at the height of your magical powers, I dread to think of the consequences. I have told you before that the Penna represents the source of all magical power in the world. Think of what you could do with such power..." 

"I could rid the world of Voldemort!" Harry stated defensively. 

"In a fit of anger, casting the Killing Curse on Voldemort could result in a lot more than his death. You could kill the entire population of the world with a single curse, were you not in control of your emotions. It is too great an object for one person to bear. Can you see that, Harry?" 

In that moment Harry finally understood all of Dumbledore's warnings and misgivings. He had lost control before and blown up his Aunt Marge. What might he have done, had he his wand, and the Penna Potissmus? Dumbledore was right. 

"But how can I kill him, then?" he asked desperately. 

"You will learn in time, but you are still young, Harry. In fact," Dumbledore chirped happily, looking at his strange watch that contained no numbers or hands, "I believe I should wish you a happy, belated, fifteenth birthday!" 

Harry couldn't believe it. His birthday had come and gone in the terrifying adventure of being captured by Lord Voldemort. He looked up in surprise to see Dumbledore surveying him happily, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. 

"Professor," Harry began quietly, "When I was asleep I had some strange dreams. I think I saw that place you mentioned, where Voldemort keeps the souls he feeds off. They were begging me to kill them, or release them. It was terrible." 

"Yes, it is a fate far worse than death, Harry," Dumbledore answered carefully. 

"You said that not all of them got there because of the Dementor's Kiss, that thousands are there because Voldemort used the Killing Curse on them..." 

"Yes..." 

"My parents aren't, aren't there, are they?" he asked, frightened. 

"No, Harry. I'm sure they're not. Their wills were too strong to be enslaved thus." 

Harry relaxed slightly. "There was another dream, sir, about Hogwarts. I had almost forgotten about it until now. But it was really strange, because the school was the same as usual, but Muggle-borns weren't allowed to go there, so Hermione wasn't there, or Dean. There were lots of other small changes, like the students were learning the Dark Arts, and how to conjure the Dark Mark... but nobody could see me. It was like I was dead, or something. Parvati said Voldemort had killed me as a baby. Really creepy. You were able to see me, though, at least I think you did for a second, but you couldn't believe your eyes. And then you-you-" 

Harry suddenly fell silent, not sure if he should tell Dumbledore about how he had tried to kill himself in the dream. Dumbledore did not appear surprised by his uncertainty, however, and even seemed to be smiling slightly. 

"I expect I was little more than a shadow of my present self?" 

"Er, yes sir. Sorry." 

"That's quite all right, Harry. Now what do you suppose your dream meant?" 

"I was going to ask you that!" 

"Come now, Harry! You're getting old enough to interpret your own dreams. Think! What did you see?" 

"I think- well, it was like I had been killed along with my parents, like that was the way the school would have been if I'd died..." 

"Yes. I would agree with that assessment. The mind can create some stunning scenarios when given free reign, and yours showed you exactly how the world would have turned out if you had not defeated Voldemort as a baby. It was probably born of your own reluctance to regard yourself as a hero." 

Harry cringed visibly at these words, causing Dumbledore to chuckle lightly. 

"It seemed so real, but it was horrible. I never would have thought that anything could make _you_ give up hope and try to- well, you know..." Harry stuttered. 

"You see what a difference you have made to the world, Harry. As much as you dislike your fame, you should be glad for what it represents. You brought the wizarding world hope, when there was very little left, and you would do well to remind yourself of that in the future, if anyone else should be lost in the struggle to defeat Lord Voldemort." 

"Hmmm," Harry muttered pensively. "How come you were able to see me when no-one else could?" 

"Ah, well, I'd like to say that it was due to my own amazing powers of perception, but alas, I have no such abilities. I believe that curious twist to your dream may have stemmed from something your subconscious mind has perceived before now. I have told you before that when one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them, similar to that you share with Peter Pettigrew, however reluctantly. Such a bond has existed between us since I saved your life in your first year at Hogwarts." 

"Oh," Harry said softly, finally understanding why he always had the eerie feeling that Dumbledore could read his mind. 

"It's not so terrible, Harry. I have found it rather useful, actually, since it gives me something of a sixth sense for finding you whenever you decide to break school rules by entering the Forbidden Forest, or some other out-of-bounds place. So let that be a warning to you!" Dumbledore said, laughing at the look of dismay on the younger wizard's face. "Now that I have said all I came to say I have just one more piece of advice to offer you, and it concerns the Penna. Clearly, you cannot continue to keep it in your wand, so I would suggest that you return it to its original location and keep that location to yourself. You should use your own judgement, of course, in whatever you decide to do. In the meantime, I need to get back to the Ministry. These are very busy times... Don't leave Godric's Hollow, Harry! Remus, or maybe even Sirius, will be along soon, so you won't have the place to yourself for very long. Make the most of it!" 

Harry understood what Dumbledore was telling him, despite the cryptic nature of his words. He had to return the Penna to the tunnel before any of the others arrived from the Ministry. Now that it was time to do so, however, Harry found that he was reluctant to part with the Penna, and the sense of power and confidence it imparted to him. He looked up from the floor to tell Dumbledore as much only to see that he was now alone. He knew deep down that Dumbledore had been right. The Penna was too dangerous an object for him to use, but losing it would deny him his only asset that frightened Voldemort. But then, he thought, just because he was going to return it to the tunnel, that didn't necessarily mean that he wouldn't be able to take it out again if necessary. That possibility would always be open to him, so perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all. At least it would be kept safe until he needed it. 

His mind made up, Harry removed his wand from his pocket, walked forward and opened the hidden passageway into the circular, grassy region beyond. He no longer felt unhappy about letting go of the Penna, since he had the comforting knowledge that his loss was not necessarily permanent. He hoped he would never have to disappoint Dumbledore by taking it out of its hiding place for his own use, but he felt somewhat safer knowing that he could do so if ever the need arose. Stepping out of the tunnel and onto the enclosed lawn, he held his wand high above his head and closed his eyes. 

"_Fidelio_!" he cried. 

Instantly, the glorious, haunting melody of phoenix song erupted from the silence to fill the small area with warmth and energy. Harry felt his wand arm being pulled up higher into the air, and then his wand effortlessly left his grasp. From behind his closed eyelids there was a bright luminescent glow that caused him to turn his head away instinctively. 

When the music finally ended, he cautiously opened his eyes. The golden light had dissipated, but above the encircling trees he could just make out the long red and golden tail feathers of a retreating phoenix. His wand lay a couple of feet behind him, its pure holly grain no longer enriched by its previous yellowish tinge. Smiling to himself, Harry picked it up and examined it closely, waving it around in a cloud of brassy sparks. It was nice to have his old wand back, however plain, he thought happily as he turned back into the tunnel. 

*** 

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed the following morning, scurrying into the master bedroom of Godric's Hollow, with Ron close on her heels. "Oh, Harry! I was so worried..." 

Harry grinned broadly at his two friends as they raced over to join him on the window seat, where he was enjoying a mug of hot chocolate. 

"Ron has told me almost everything," she continued, without taking a breath, "And I still can't believe it. Did you really try to kill You-Know-Who?" 

Harry almost laughed at her appalled expression, but instead turned accusingly to Ron. 

"Are you trying to get me arrested?" he asked jokingly. 

"Sorry, Harry," Ron grumbled sarcastically, without a hint of remorse. 

"Well, yes," Harry told Hermione, "I did try, but I'm afraid it didn't work very well... But never mind that! Why did you release that cow?" 

"Hmmm?" she asked, confused. "Oh, Rita Skeeter? Of course, you wouldn't have heard! Oh, Harry, wait till you hear. You'll be so happy! You will too, Ron, since I had you in mind when I did it." At these words, Hermione's face went a bright shade of red, as did Ron's, but she ignored it and continued speaking. 

"Well, after you two went missing, I decided there were better things to do than just sit around worrying, and wondering when you'd get back. So, I decided to see if I could work out why Percy was killed." 

Hermione glanced sympathetically at Ron and added, "I thought it might make you feel better if you had someone to blame." 

Ron went even redder and looked away. 

"And it occured to me that dear Rita has a singular skill for digging up hidden information, so I told her that if she investigated it and gave me a reasoned explanation for what happened to Percy that I would keep quiet about her being an unregistered Animagus. She seemed happy enough with the arrangement (probably because she thought she might get a story from it)... Anyway, within just a couple of hours she had not only found enough evidence to identify the people who planted the Mortis Charm on Lupin's house, but had uncovered- Oh, Harry, you won't believe me-" 

"Come on, Hermione!" Harry and Ron roared impatiently. 

"All right, all right... I'm building up to a climax here! Okay, Ron? The Charm that killed Percy was planted by Wormtail, but I don't suppose that's much of a surprise to you, Ron, since you went after him, hell-bent on revenge. This is the surprise: Percy _did_ have evidence against Fudge, as was suspected, and this evidence not only incriminates him, but it also proves that Sirius is innocent!" she cried out impressively. 

"Yeah, and the climax is...?" Ron taunted, grinning at Harry. 

"What?" she asked in a flat voice. "Isn't that enough?" 

"Um, we already knew that, Hermione. Sorry!" Harry said, trying not to laugh. 

Hermione glared from one boy to the other, with a deflated look on her face. "How do you know?" 

"Sirius told us in Azkaban," said Harry. 

"Oh," she muttered. 

"Don't feel bad! I'm sure you did some excellent detective work," Ron chortled, attracting a very sour look from Hermione. 

"I still haven't heard from Sirius," Harry explained seriously. "He didn't come back last night, and at breakfast this morning Remus only said that the hearing had been delayed and had only just started when he arrived. I hope it goes okay." 

"Don't worry, Harry!" Hermione begged, "There's no question of his innocence. I mean, how could anyone dispute the evidence of Wormtail's own wand?" 

Harry's eyes snapped up in shock, and he felt Ron's keen gaze upon him. "What did you say?" he asked swiftly. 

Hermione looked puzzled. "I thought you said you knew!" she cried out, too surprised to adopt the superior gaze she had worn earlier. 

"I obviously _don't _know!" Harry roared. "Tell me what you meant!" 

"The evidence proving Sirius' innocence... It seems they found the core of Wormtail's wand in the debris after he blew up that Muggle street during his encounter with Sirius fourteen years ago. His wand had been destroyed, and only half of the core was found, a strand of hair from a unicorn's tail, apparently. Anyway, it won't surprise you very much to hear that Mundungus Fletcher was the first Auror on the scene and that he was the one who found the wand's core. Priori Incantatem could have shown that the explosion came from Wormtail's wand, but unfortunately, Fletcher decided only to share that evidence several months later with Cornelius Fudge, only recently elected Minister of Magic. By then, Crouch had already thrown Sirius in prison without a trial, and Fudge didn't want to face the embarrassment of having to publicly admit to imprisoning an innocent man for such a high-profile case, so it was kept quiet. But silly old Fudge must have had second thoughts because he apparently wrote out a pardon. However, it was never put into effect. Instead, he hid it away in the most boring department he could think of, The Department of International Magical Co-operation, where Crouch had just been shunted, thinking that, with Fletcher as Crouch's boss, it would be well hidden." 

"Why didn't he just burn it, or something?" Ron asked, amazed. 

Hermione smiled at him knowingly. "Because it was on official Ministry parchment. Ministry parchment has all sorts of charms on it to prevent tampering, and it can't be burnt, or torn, or destroyed in any way, nor can even it be removed from the Ministry Headquarters in London. Of course, Fletcher left the department when Crouch took over, and then Percy became Head of the Department after Crouch's death. It seems that Fletcher kept an eye on Crouch and Percy during their careers, and when he realised that Percy had found Sirius' pardon, well, he had him killed." 

Ron shook his head angrily. "I wish he'd never taken that job." 

"It meant the world to him, Ron," Hermione stated consolingly. 

"Yeah, s'pose." 

"At least he didn't die for nothing, Ron," she continued. "If it wasn't for him, the truth about Sirius' innocence might never have come to light." 

The three fell silent for a while, suddenly becoming interested in a sparrow singing in its nest in the large oak canopy outside the window. At length, Harry spoke, trying to think of something to clear the air of the dark mood that had descended upon it. 

"Hey! Did you hear about Malfoy?" 

"'Course I did! D'you know, Mum offered to let him stay with us! I tell you, it would have been enough to make me move out! And now poor old Snape is stuck with him. Geez, I never thought I'd feel sorry for Snape, but I do now!" 

Harry sniggered in spite of the annoyed, pinched expression on Hermione's face. He had seen it too many times to pay much notice. 

Ron was still speaking, "And did you hear about Neville? No? His uncle is going to be the new Minister for Magic. That'll be one in old Draco's eye, for sure. Ha! If only I could be the one to tell him!" 

"Ron!" Hermione scolded, "That's cruel." 

"What?" he groaned. "You hate him as much as I do. I mean, the number of times he's called you a mudblood..." 

"Maybe, but it's different now. He must be really upset about losing his father." 

"Losing his father?" Harry asked in surprise. "What happened?" 

"I thought you knew," Hermione said quietly and then explained, "Lucius Malfoy was killed during the attack on Hogwarts. Apparently he attacked someone on our side, although the Daily Prophet doesn't specify who, and was killed in self-defence." 

"Oh my God," Harry whispered. _So that was why Lupin said that Draco Malfoy could be taken from his parents legally._

Ron said no more about Draco Malfoy, and the conversation soon turned to more cheerful matters, such as the new school year, the need for Harry to have a belated birthday party, and the latest exploits of Fred and George Weasley, who had apparently designed a very impressive and professional-looking mail-order catalogue for their comic creations. Harry laughed along with Ron and Hermione, grateful not to be asked how he felt about losing his parents again. It just wasn't something that he wanted to speak about yet, preferring to have some quiet time to himself to work out his feelings first. For the moment, it was nice to immerse himself in the simple pleasure of talking to his friends about unimportant things, knowing that, for a while at least, he was safe. 

Towards midday, they were interrupted by Remus bearing a tray full of sandwiches, and an order from Madam Pomfrey for Harry to stay in bed, which he cheerfully ignored. They ate in companionable silence, and spent the afternoon in friendly games of Exploding Snap, until it was time for Ron and Hermione to return to the Burrow. Harry was very sorry to see them go, and realised, with a pang of regret that, now that Sirius would be free, he would probably never have to stay at Ron's house again. He envied Hermione, who said that she would be staying there for another fortnight to give Ginny some company while she grieved for Percy. Harry couldn't help but notice, however, how her eyes had strayed to Ron as she said this. Perhaps they would be happier to have some time to themselves for once, he thought sadly... Well, at least he still had Sirius. He looked forward to getting to know him better, outside of dangerous, life-threatening situations. 

Harry found that the visit from his friends had tired him out considerably, and after they had left, he lay down for a nap. Stretched out on his parents' enormous double bed, he fell into a refreshing, deep sleep, where he remained for an indefinite amount of time until the door suddenly burst inward, and a mass of black fur bounded across the room to land heavily on his chest. 

"Ack!... Sirius! Oh, stop licking me! Come on, you have to transform and tell me what happened," he cried out stupidly, wrenched from his precious sleep, but delighted nonetheless to see his godfather alive and well. 

With a pop, Padfoot transformed into a smiling Sirius Black, lying rather ungracefully across Harry's legs. 

"Harry!" he cried, "I'm free!" 

Harry burst out laughing, not even caring that he had lost all feeling in his legs. He was speechless, but so, apparently, was Sirius, who launched himself across the mattress and flung his arms around his godson's neck, giggling hysterically behind his ear. Harry hugged him tightly, still laughing uncontrollably, and resisting the urge to rub his moist eyes. He had never felt such immense, all-embracing joy in his entire life. Not even the happiness he had felt at learning for the first time that he was a wizard compared to the way he was feeling now. Sirius was thumping him on the back, and tousling his hair, all the while shaking with sheer delight. When finally he let him go, Harry saw that he was not the only one who had been crying. 

"I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment," Remus called from the door, startling them, "But I've slaved all afternoon over a hot wand to prepare this meal, and I don't want it to go to waste!" 

"Moony!" Sirius roared, with a mischievous glint in his eye, "Old pal! Come here!" 

Sirius leapt up from the bed and advanced menacingly on his friend, arms stretched out wide in a gesture of friendship. Remus looked alarmed, and began to back away, out onto the landing, but it was too late. Sirius charged out of the room after his prey, screaming, "Mooooony!" at the top of his lungs, the floorboards protesting at his every heavy footfall. A moment later, the house reverberated to an indignant, high-pitched yell and the crash of broken pottery, before Sirius stampeded back into the bedroom, carrying a frustrated Remus Lupin over his shoulder, kicking his legs wildly. With a triumphant, "Ha!" Sirius flung his friend onto the mattress and proceeded to tickle him remorselessly. Crouched against the headboard, Harry couldn't stifle his laughter at seeing the normally reserved and controlled Remus Lupin squirming frantically and giggling hysterically in between squeals of, "No!- Stop, Padf- Ah!- Sirius! I hate y-" 

"Should I stop now, Moony?" Sirius asked finally, winking conspiratorially at Harry. 

"For God's sake, yes!" Remus screamed, unable to wriggle out of Sirius' iron grip. 

"Hmmm, I don't know..." Sirius teased. "Maybe just a little more-" 

"No!" 

Sirius started tickling Remus once more in the sides of his chest. "You see, I have to be sure that you won't try to slip anything into my drink ever again..." 

"-'kay, won't, Siri- Ow! Stop!" 

"What do you think, Harry? Should I let him go?" 

"I would if I were you, Sirius. He looks pretty mad," Harry replied. 

"Hmmm... Okay, then. There you go, Moony!" 

Remus rolled onto the floor, presenting as little of his body as possible to the threat of another attack. He stood up slowly, brushing down his messy robes, and glaring murderously at Sirius. Harry had the impression, however, that the werewolf was only just managing to keep from smiling. 

"'Should've let you cook your own damn dinner," he grumbled. 

"Awww, sorry Moony! We love you, really (at least our stomachs do!)... Come on, Harry! Let's go eat!" 

The three wizards walked downstairs, Remus shaking his head, feigning exasperation, Harry laughing under his breath, and Sirius speaking consolably to Remus. 

"Tell you what... Now that I'm rich and famous, I'll buy you a house!" 

"Whatever you say, Sirius," Remus muttered lightly. 

"Really, Moony. I'm not kidding. You tell me what place you'd like, and it's yours." 

"You're not buying me a house, Sirius!" Remus insisted. 

"Ah, come on, Moony! Let me buy you a house! I feel sooo guilty for tickling you-" 

"Shut up, Sirius!" 

Sirius sighed dramatically, "I don't know, Harry... Some people just can't accept gifts." 

"You can buy _me_ a house, Sirius!" Harry joked, walking into the kitchen, and gazing hungrily at the roast chicken waiting to be carved. 

"You already _have _one!" 

"Huh?" 

"You're in it." 

"Oh, yeah. I hadn't thought about that... So I _own_ Godric's Hollow?" Harry asked, surprised that it hadn't occured to him before. 

"'Course you do!" Sirius exclaimed, stealing the drumstick that Remus had just laid on his own plate, and earning a reproachful glance from the cook. "Have you thought about where you want to live? I'll understand if you want to stay here, of course, but if you'd prefer somewhere else, I wouldn't mind investing in some property." 

Harry was stumped. "Er- I don't know. I think- Well, this is a nice house, and everything, and I certainly wouldn't sell it," Harry began, thinking of the Penna hidden away behind the living room panel, "But I don't think I'd like to live here, at least not yet." 

"That's fine, Harry. We can start looking for somewhere new... Moony, if you won't accept a house, how about a mobile home?" 

"Thanks all the same, but I'd rather not live on a broomstick. Here's yours, Harry." 

Harry accepted his plate gratefully, and soon the three of them were eating voraciously, not saying very much. As they finished their meal, the sun was beginning to set, and the kitchen was bathed in cool shadow. Harry looked up from his now empty plate in time to see Hedwig swoop towards the window, her magnificent feathers glistening in the sunlight. The snowy owl entered the room, landing skilfully on Sirius' shoulder, and hooting happily as he let his fork fall onto his plate with a clatter and read his message. Almost immediately he got to his feet, a pleased expression on his face. 

"Anything important?" Remus asked. 

"Um, you could say that... It's from Arabella. If you'll excuse me, the highway awaits!" he cried. 

With that, Sirius tore from the room, yelling something about leather trousers. Harry grinned softly, helping himself to more sprouts. Remus was smiling warmly at him from across the table. 

"Poor 'Bella. I hope she knows what she's letting herself in for." 

"I think she's well able for him," Harry retorted, grinning broadly. 

Feeling satisfied, and warm after his meal, Harry opened the back door and stepped out onto the sweeping garden lawn, where instantly he was greeted by the evening song of the sparrows overhead, and the occasional moth fluttering past his face. He felt stronger and more carefree than he had in a long time, and began to stride up the sloping grass, inhaling the sweet summer air with unquenchable passion. Sitting lazily down at the foot of an ancient oak, he gazed back on his parents home with love and awe. There was magic here, he thought vaguely, but of a different, more immediate, and more human kind than he had ever experienced before. It was all around him, in every blade of grass, and every breath of air. 

It reminded him of his parents. 

If only he could feel his mother's bushy red hair against his cheek again, or marvel at his father's startling blue eyes... Filled with a longing to see his parents so intense, so overpowering as to render him almost paralytic with desire, he gazed deep into his soul and found them, waiting expectantly. They were too beautiful to remain hidden in his memory. He would bring them back... 

_fin._   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


A/N: Finally! The end! I get my life back, and just in time for exams-great :(. Well, I'm fairly pleased with the way this turned out. Of course, there are loads of mistakes, especially as far as continuity with the books is concerned, but let's just call it artistic licence, shall we? This was my first fic, and I have to say I've enjoyed the experience, and learned loads, so I will be back. There will be a sequel in a couple of weeks, after I finish college for the summer, but before I start on it, I think I'd like to try something different, probably MWPP. I'd like to thank all of you for putting up with my endless cliffhangers and delays, and for reviewing throughout the series. I probably would have given up after chapter one if it wasn't for you! I hope it's not too much to ask for you to review just one more time :o) Come on! Please... 

Before I thank you all individually, I'd just like to say an enormous THANK YOU!!! to **Coqui,** who beta-read most of the second half of the series, and had the grace not to lose her temper with my flagrant misuse of inverted commas, proper nouns (Quidditch with a capital Q!), and the space bar. Hehe. So go on, everyone, read Coqui's fics. She's written some great stuff (I particularly like, "Fifth Year Fic".) 

And everyone else-> 

**rachel**: So sorry for the delay. I promise you it wasn't laziness! I worked harder on this part than any of the others, and failed to get my scholarship because of it! I had major writer's block and had to rewrite it several times, so it took forever. Anyway, I hope it turned out okay :)   
**~*~Ten No Megami~*~:**Glad you liked my series, and I hope your cat didn't die of curiosity!   
**audiaa2:**Oh goodie, one of my fav authors is reading my fic! Ack! (bows head in embarrassment). I'm not worthy! Thanks so much for reviewing, and for not accusing me of cheesyness. I know this story is a little sentimental at times, but hey, I'm a sentimental person! Anyway, I am absolutely dying for the next part of Veracity and have been amusing myself trying to figure out what's going to happen next. I just can't work out why Janice and Dr. Nyborg keep contradicting each other. I'm not sure I trust Nyborg, as he seems to be up to something suspicious, but Janice is a goodie, isn't she? She wouldn't do anything nasty. So, did Sirius just imagine that slip about the sleeping potion, and is it not just a coincidence that he has been conveniently kept out of the way for Harry to be kidnapped from Remus. Argh, I don't know. But you're doing it on purpose, aren't you? Getting us all confused, and making us think up one crazy conspiracy theory after another.. Heehee.   
I can't wait for the next part.   
**Sailorcelestial:** No problemo. Hope the finals went okay. As for Malfoy, well, I certainly wouldn't make him a nice person, or Harry's friend since that's been done before and I'd hate to be accused of copying the excellent Cassandra Claire. He may feature strongly in the sequel, however. And thank you so much for reviewing throughout the series. I don't think you missed a single chapter :)   
**Piper:** Glad you like it. Hope this part's okay.   
**Katy713: **Heehee, you had the right idea, waiting till the end. Everyone else had to endure my frequent delays and cliffhangers! Thanks for reviewing.   
**cloud: **Goodie, thanks!   
**shadowwolf75:** Great! Hope you like it.   
**california love: **Ha! I told you this was the last part! And you didn't believe me-for shame... I guess you don't like Malfoy. Well, I could have let him drown, but then poor Harry might never have gotten home. Sorry! Thanks for reviewing all through the series :o)   
**~~*Julie*~~: **Ooh, sorry for taking so long. Hope you're not too mad at me! Anyway, thanks for saying you liked it, and I hope this part pleases..   
**HASKAP:** I feel so guilty for making you all wait so long! I'm really, really sorry, but believe me, if I'd rushed it, it would have been dreadful. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.   
**the great bumblebee:** I read that series you recommended, "My Name's Severus," and you were right, it was hilarious! Thanks for the reference. Now you know what I was doing when I should have been writing! Oops...   
**heffa:** Thanks for reviewing!   
**Harry's Crush:** Ah, someone else I should get down on bended knee to thank! Well, thank you very much for sticking with my story, and for reviewing so much. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter. I did my best :)   
**Ravenclaw filly:** Oh dear, oh dear... You asked me to get this chapter out the very next day! Eek! I could never have written this in a day :) I tried to, but failed miserably. Well, at least I didn't kill Harry off. I could never do that. Thank you very much for reviewing!   
**Dunno:** Yup, there will be a sequel, though not right away. My exams end June 9th so I'll start on it around then. Hope you like it!   
**MK:** Wow, thanks! Better than the books?! Um, I think that's going a bit far! But I'm really glad you liked it :o) If this part was okay, then maybe you'll read the sequel when I get around to writing it. Anyway, thanks again!   
**Gohan Hugger:** Um, thanks, I think..:)   
**Tinabedina: **Thank you, sorry for the long wait..   
**Dog Star's Crush:** Way way way! Aww, how cute! Glad you approved of my decision to include Draco, because he'll play a big part in the sequel.   
**Aaron Delboone: **Thank you very much! Wow, this only the second fanfic you read! Well, you've probably been told this already, but the best fics to read (at least in my humble opinion) are by Cassandra Claire, Lori, Harry's Mum Lily, Al, audiaa2, Bliss, Thing1, and D.M.P.   
**Belle M:** Thanks for saying you liked part 20 and for reviewing so often. I really appreciate it :)   
**Mike Potter:** Hex me! Ha! I'd like to see you try :) Heehee. Okay, I'm sorry for the wait, and regardless of your threat, I am still grateful that you reviewed!   
**Rede:** So nice of you to keep reviewing. I'm really happy that people have stuck with this from the beginning. Well, this is the last one. I think I'll go cry now...   
**Beruna Ford:** OMG! Your poor sister! And it's all my fault... Well, I must admit I'm flattered, but as soon as you read this chapter you're to turn off your computer and go finish that veil. Oh, and my congratulations!   
**Nagh: **Thanks!   
**Kelzery: **Hey, I only read your fic, "The Fear Evil Brings," yesterday, and I must say it's one of the best short series I've read, really dark and angsty, and you handled the Harry/Ginny romance beautifully. Well done! I liked your suggestion about including more Draco in my fic, but it was getting a bit too long, so I'm going to save it for the sequel.   
**Adelina: **LOL. You're right, there was a lot that needed to be squashed into this one chapter, but i was determined to do it, at least for the sake of my education, which has suffered badly through this fic. But, I did it! Aganist all odds, I think I cleared up all the loose ends. Well, you can tell me if I succeeded...:)   
**Liz: **Oh, thank you very much!   
**Jedi Lizzybean: **Great, that last chapter was hell to write. I hope you enjoyed this part.   
**SEEKER_2000:** Er, I've always thought that JKR would keep Harry alive long enough to complete his education at least, so it didn't feel right killing him off just yet. I hope it isn't too great an anticlimax, but there's always the sequel...   
**Amanda Mancini:** Hey, Scary Girl! Glad to see you haven't given up on my fic.   
**Cassandra Lynn: **Oh, thank you. Nice of you to say this is one of your favourites. I'm sorry for making you wait so long for this part :(   
**Giesbrecht:** Well, here it is, chapter 21 at long last. I haven't forgotten about Harry's parents, and the last line of the fic will give you some indication of what the sequel will be about.   
**Coqui:** Ah, you were quick to review! Thanks! Especially for the beta.   
**Lin-z: **Thanks! Coqui recommended your fic to me, "Harry Potter and Gryffindor's Secret," which I'm trying to catch up with at the moment. So far, I love it! 

_Pleiades_   
_Monday, May 14th, 2001._   



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